I actually have several questions. I was raised Catholic and still practice today (with the exception of communion)and have been married twice (still married to second wife). My wife is a non-practicing Lutheran who wants to become Catholic and has been married three times. I am her third. Her first marriage was a civil marriage and she sought divorce on the grounds of abandonment. Second marriage was a protestant marriage and she sought divorce on grounds of adultery. So my question is, which marriages have to be annuled in order for her to attend RCIA and then for us to get married in the Catholic church. My first marriage was performed by a Methodist minister. My wife and I have three children who are all baptised Catholic and two of them are about to recieve First Communion. We want very much to be able to someday recieve Communion as a family, however, for now, my wife and I do not partake in this Sacrament because we want to make sure that we show good example to the children and do right in the eyes of GOD. Thanks for replying. Brian Wethington

-- Brian Wethington (b.s.wethington@verizon.net), April 22, 2003

Answers

All three previous marriages need to be annulled, and then your present marriage needs to be blessed in the Catholic church, before you can resume taking Communion or your wife can join the Church.

If you did not receive approval for your first marriage to be performed by a Methodist minister, that would be very simple grounds for an annulment. Your wife's annulments may be more involved, but still very possible.

I would recommend http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CatholicsRemarry for support and more information.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), April 22, 2003.

Mark, I agree with your answer to Brian -- though I would recommend that you use different terminology in your first phrase. You wrote:
"All three previous marriages need to be annulled ..."
A "marriage" cannot "be anulled" (made null) by the Church.
A "marriage" is a valid union that can be broken only by the death of one of the spouses.

Therefore it is accurate and helpful to say instead that "All three previous 'apparent marriages' must be found, by the Catholic Church, actually to have been invalid (no marriage at all) right from their wedding days."
Or, to express the same thing in a slightly different way: "A tribunal (court) of the Catholic Church must determine that all three previous 'apparent marriages' actually were invalid, right from their wedding days (i.e., never were real marriages, in God's eyes)."

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 23, 2003.