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Anonymous wrote:

Hi, guys —

I'm a 50-year-old female who is currently enrolled in RCIA. I will be confirmed on March 22.

I'm dating a Catholic man and we are talking about marriage. I've had four previous marriages: (two to non-Christians.)

The first one was a non-Christian who, in recent years (after our divorce), was baptized in a Protestant church. We were married in my church, but he wasn't Christian at the time.

In my 2nd and 3rd, my husbands are now deceased.

My fourth husband was not a Christian, and the marriage didn't take place in a church, but was performed by my minister. We divorced several years ago, and though he is also thinking about becoming Catholic, he hasn't been baptized, nor has he started RCIA.

  • Would I need annulments for any of these marriages if I were to marry the man I am now dating?

I spoke with one priest who said that since two of my husbands are deceased, I wouldn't need annulments for those, and that since the other two weren't Christians at the time of our marriages, I wouldn't need annulments for those marriages either.

I am confused and concerned and need your opinion.

Thanks so much!

Anonymous

  { As an RCIA enrollee, based on my marital history, would I need an annulment to marry this man? }

Eric replied:

Hi Anonymous,

It's possible that you could get away with not having annulments for the unbaptized husbands (using either the Pauline Privilege or the Petrine privilege), but the case is rare and it is best that you pursue an annulment.  A good booklet on this is:

Hope this helps,

Eric

Fr. Jonathan replied:

Hi, Mike —

She needs two declarations of nullity, commonly known as annulments.

The first marriage, although not involving the Catholic Church, was a valid marriage in the Church's eyes so it needs a study to see if it were truly valid or not.

Her 2nd and 3rd husbands are deceased so these need no process.

The fourth marriage suddenly becomes valid if the first one is declared invalid.
i.e. if the first one is declared invalid then it didn't exist canonically at the time
of fourth one.

In order to get married to the new man who she is dating, these would have to take place first so she is free to come into the Church now as long as she agrees not to get married until these two annulments come through.

Even if the woman were not becoming a Catholic, she would still need to have these two marriages declared null first or else her Catholic husband couldn't get married in the Church.

She should talk to her priest and get started.

Fr. Jonathan
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