I was divorced in October of this past year after a 3+ year separation from my ex-husband. We were not married in the church, mostly because I am Catholic and he is not and his parents objected to a Catholic service, etc. I have remarried now, again, not in the church. I want to set this right with my faith, but don't really know how to go about it. I have been told I need to seek annullment and then take steps to have my new marriage recognized by the church. I would appreciate some input on this problem. There are a great many details to the situation that I hesitate to post here. If anyone knowledgable on the subject would contact me so that we might be able to "talk" privately, I'd appreciate it.

-- (harmony@ptd.net), July 13, 2001

Answers

Response to Annullment and remarriage

Jmj

Hello, "harmony." I hope that you will receive this reply via e-mail. It is wonderful that you are taking these good steps in your life.
What you were told (about seeking a Decree of Nullity and recognition or "convalidation" of your marriage) was correct.

If all is exactly as you have described it, this will not be difficult nor time-consuming nor slow to accomplish. Simply make an appointment to speak to your parish pastor about this, and he will help you fill out the necessary documents. Since you never left Catholicism, and since you did not have your bishop's permission to marry in a non-Catholic ceremony, you did not follow "canonical form," and this automatically made your "union" invalid.

It should not take long for your diocese's marriage court (tribunal) to formally declare that this is the case. As soon as they do so, your pastor can help you to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance and then proceed with the blessing of your marriage. In fact, you could even celebrate Penance and begin to receive Holy Communion right now, if you and your husband were to make the noble sacrifice of promising to live "as brother and sister" (a celibate life) until your marriage is blessed. Soon all the angels in heaven will be rejoicing because of the great thing you are doing.

God bless you.
John

-- (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), July 14, 2001.