Hi, Todd —

You said:
Since I was a teenager growing up in a Catholic community, I have considered becoming Catholic. My parents were against this, but it is something I still want to do. I am 32 years old and have been married, divorced, and am now re-married.

• What would my wife and I have to do to become Catholic?

Becoming Catholic is one thing; fully participating in the sacramental life of the Church is another.

One of the key issues that would have to be addressed is:

The validity of any previous marriages by either you or your current wife in the eyes of the Church.

• Was your previous spouse Catholic?
• If so, was an annulment pursued?
• Was there a Declaration of Nullity?

These issues can best be addressed by a Catholic priest. I would encourage you to make an appointment.

We welcome you with open arms Todd, but want to ensure that all issues are addressed correctly.

Here is a write-up I did on your exact question:

• How does one become a Catholic? under My Favorites.

I used to send our Free Catechisms of the Catholic Church to interested newbies but can no longer finance this operation.

Seeing you may be preparing to take RCIA classes in the near future, I would encourage you to consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn everything we believe as faithful Catholics.

Under each boxed Amazon format for the Catechism you want, you will see, below the box, an option to buy a used version, which many times, is not really used but close to new.

I hope this answers your question,

Mike

Todd,

Although your previous wife was not Catholic, the Church may have to determine whether or not there was a valid sacramental marriage.

This is not to say it was not legal, or if there are children, that they would be considered illegitimate (they wouldn't), but if the marriage is considered to have been sacramental on the surface, they will want to investigate if there were some pre-existing reasons why the marriage can be annulled, meaning a marriage never took place.

Hope this helps,

John DiMascio

Dear Mike:

Thanks for bringing Todd's desire to my attention.

I would suggest Todd make an appointment with his local parish to explore the, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), process. As part of this meeting, the local priest will make an assessment of where Todd is on his particular journey of faith, as well as look at the two marriages which would need to be addressed.

There are so many conditions that can be present; I would not want to even venture an opinion on what Todd would need to do to have his current marriage validated.

Some of the issues would be:

1. Religion of both parties at the time of first marriage.
2. Were both baptized?
3. Was this the first marriage for each?
4. Who officiated at this marriage?
5. Where did it take place?
6. What was the religion of both parties at the time of the second marriage?
7. Was this the first marriage for either party?
8. Who officiated?
9. Where did the marriage take place?

There are more questions to ask as well.

Depending upon the actual particulars of Todd's situation, a plan of action would be set in motion.

Fr. Nick