Wondering if my Annulment might be invalid

[jenwha]

I’ve got a strange question…but my 1st marriage was anulled, and pretty quickly BTW.

I think it was annulled because my first husband had already been married once.

He refused to give any kind of evidence to the Church and I don’t know if they contacted his ex wife or not, I kind of doubt it.

However, it occurred to me recently, that he got divorced from his first wife because SHE CHEATED ON HIM.

Jesus said that was the only reason you could divorce!!

So if he was validly divorced, wouldn’t that mean I should never have received an annullment and that now my current marriage might be invalid???

I don’t think the CC knows that the reason they broke up was over infidelity. I had forgotten about it and did not list that as a reason, if that was on the application form.

What a can of worms. What do I do now?

 

[underacloud]

Jesus did say that adultery was grounds for divorce, but that does not nullify the marriage. It merely allows the wronged spouse to separate from the adulterer without guilt of sin.

So even if your first husband had good grounds for his divorce, it would not make his marriage invalid. He would still have been validly married to his first adulterous wife. And thus, your marriage was invalid. It seems the tribunal saw it this way and the ruling was quite straightforward for them.

Does that make sense? If in doubt, speak with your priest or the advocate who petitioned your annulment.

 

[1ke]

I’ve got a strange question…but my 1st marriage was anulled, and pretty quickly BTW.

I think it was annulled because my first husband had already been married once.

This is called Ligamen. Yes, that would render his attempt at marriage to you invalid.

However, it occurred to me recently, that he got divorced from his first wife because SHE CHEATED ON HIM.

Jesus said that was the only reason you could divorce!!

No, this is not correct. That is a protestant misintepretation of that passage.

So if he was validly divorced, wouldn’t that mean I should never have received an annullment and that now my current marriage might be invalid???

NO.

I don’t think the CC knows that the reason they broke up was over infidelity. I had forgotten about it and did not list that as a reason, if that was on the application form.

It is not relevant. It does not impact the validity of the marriage.

What a can of worms. What do I do now?

NOTHING.

You are validly married.

 

[porthos11]

I’ve got a strange question…but my 1st marriage was anulled, and pretty quickly BTW.

I think it was annulled because my first husband had already been married once.

He refused to give any kind of evidence to the Church and I don’t know if they contacted his ex wife or not, I kind of doubt it.

However, it occurred to me recently, that he got divorced from his first wife because SHE CHEATED ON HIM.

Jesus said that was the only reason you could divorce!!

So if he was validly divorced, wouldn’t that mean I should never have received an annullment and that now my current marriage might be invalid???

I don’t think the CC knows that the reason they broke up was over infidelity. I had forgotten about it and did not list that as a reason, if that was on the application form.

What a can of worms. What do I do now?

Nothing. He was not validly divorced (there is no such thing; the Catholic Church teaches that divorce does not dissolve a marriage bond), and was still deemed married to his first wife. This means his attempt to marry you was invalid. If any (and I am not a canon lawyer), you may not have needed an annulment simply because your marriage was not putative; i.e. it was manifestly invalid to begin with, so you could probably have been declared free to marry without an annulment. That said, the tribunal issued a decree of nullity anyway, so that’s that. Your current marriage is valid.

 

[jenwha]

Oh, good.

That was making me nervous.

Thanks.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

It is my understanding that his first marriage is deemed valid unless proven otherwise, and there is no obligation to seek such a proof.

 

[Nan_S]

1. The declaration of nullity is that there was something fundamentally wrong with the marriage at it’s onset. Adultery after-the-fact does not make a valid marriage invalid.
2. The protestants who divorce and remarry freely, and who are prolific about releasing new bible translations, want the passage (in English) to say “except for adultery.” It justifies their actions.
3. On the other hand, there is a lot of scholarly argument about what Jesus meant in that passage. The words used can also be read to mean “except in case of illegality,” which means a marriage that was fundamentally invalid at its onset because it involved people whose family relationships are too close to legitimately marry: father-daughter, mother-son, brother-sister, and similar.

 

[achmafooma]

Hello

In addition to what everybody else has said, remember that Christ gave St. Peter (and, thus, the church that he and his successors would lead) the power to bind and loose. The Catholic Church has a God-given authority.

That same Church reviewed your case, and the evidence you provided in good faith. And with that, the Church issued an annulment. So the matter is settled! What has been loosed on Earth has been loosed in Heaven.

So you have nothing to worry about. I recommend you put these concerns out of your mind and trust in the decision of the Church.

God bless you!