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Anonymous
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
- If a couple only gets married at City
Hall, then divorces, is that marriage
and divorce recognized by the Church?
- Do the (former) husband and wife have
to get that civil union annulled in order
to be able to marry in the Church?
Thank you,
Anonymous
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{
If
a couple gets married at City Hall then divorces,
is that marriage recognized by the Church? }
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Mary
Ann, Paul and Mike put together the following
team reply:
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Dear Anonymous —
- On the validity
and sacramentality of the marriage:
-
Two baptized Catholics have to
marry according to Catholic
form.
This means they must be married
in the Church for the marriage
to be a valid, sacramental marriage.
The marriage of validly baptized non-Catholic Christians is considered
valid and sacramental by the Church.
Some Protestant denominations
don't baptize and some do it invalidly.
If either the bride or the groom
is a non-baptized non-Catholic
Christian,
the marriage is considered valid
but not sacramental in the eyes
of the Church.
- On whether an
annulment is required:
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A Catholic who marries civilly
and divorces would still need
to do some paperwork and have
the union looked at by the tribunal
in some way.
A validly baptized Christian who
gets married civilly and then
divorces would need a declaration
of nullity if he or she seeks
to marry in the Church.
In the case where the non-Catholic
Christian also wishes to also
convert the Pauline privilege may apply.
Paul later followed-up:
The marriage of two baptized persons
is sacramental, meaning there is
an exchange of not only natural life
but also supernatural life; an exchange
of grace. This presumes that each
is a recipient and a channel of God's
grace in order to be an instrument
of grace for the other; a sacrament
for the other spouse. |
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Anonymous
replied:
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Thanks!
This is what I also believed, for the same reasons given, but I was told that I was wrong
and hence, I reached out to you for
a clarification.
Thanks,
Anonymous
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