Question:
There must be something I don’t understand here. Made-up Situation: A Catholic gets married to a non-catholic without a dispensation Said Catholic has kids with that non-catholic Same Catholic has a non-catholic divorce and wants to marry a catholic. The Church has to recognize that something happened during the first marriage. I don’t think they’d allow for the next marriage to go through, thinking the first was never valid.
Yes the Church recognizes that somethng happened during the first marriage; however it is not recognized as a nondissoluble canonically valid marriage. It’s important to remember that ‘valid’ is a term of art in the canon law. The Catholic Church does *not* teach that ‘invalid’ marriages are meaningless or that the children of that marriage are illegimate. Rather what is meant is that it is not a marriage ‘joined by God’ such that it is sacramental and indissoluble. Russ "I fear that to me Siamese cats belong to the fauna of Mordor"
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Are you getting married in the Catholic Church? You’ll need a dispensation for mixed marriage (or for disparity of cult if she isn’t baptized). If you are not planning to get married in the Catholic Church, you need a dispensation for lack of Canonical Form in order for the Church to recognize your marriage as valid. Hi Gabby, There must be something I don’t understand here. Made-up Situation: A Catholic gets married to a non-catholic without a dispensation Said Catholic has kids with that non-catholic Same Catholic has a non-catholic divorce and wants to marry a catholic. The Church has to recognize that something happened during the first marriage. I don’t think they’d allow for the next marriage to go through, thinking the first was never valid.
It recognizes that it is a legal marriage, but it doesn’t recognize it as a canonically valid marriage. I’m not a canon lawyer by any stretch, but as I understand it, if the marriage was not canonically valid the Catholic party is free to marry in the Church after a divorce. Any children resulting from said invalid marriage are legitimate. Suzanne
Response:
I was an unbaptized Protestantant when I married my wife, a cradle Catholic. While our marriage was valid, it was not a scaramental marriage, a distinction I have now come to appreciate.
That’s my understanding as well, provided that you received a dispensation from your wife’s bishop. Ten years later when I converted to the Roman Catholic Church and was baptized (for the first time) at the Easter ceremony where I was welcomed into the church. At the instant of my baptism, my marriage became sacramental. This is according to my priest who is an ex-JAG lawyer and specialized in Canon Law.
Yes, again, IIRC, provided that there was a dispensation received at the beginning of the marriage. If there wasn’t a dispensation, you might want to look into a ‘validation’ I would be very easy to obtain. Russ "I fear that to me Siamese cats belong to the fauna of Mordor"
Response:
I was an unbaptized Protestantant when I married my wife, a cradle Catholic. While our marriage was valid, it was not a scaramental marriage, a distinction I have now come to appreciate.
But what does the distinction mean and what effect does it have? Is the difference akin to being baptized vs. confirmed? Regards, Harold. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Ten years later when I converted to the Roman Catholic Church and was baptized (for the first time) at the Easter ceremony where I was welcomed into the church. At the instant of my baptism, my marriage became sacramental. This is according to my priest who is an ex-JAG lawyer and specialized
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello All, I’m getting married to a non-Catholic (not atheist, not anything) soon and have read that the marriage will be recognized as valid, but not a sacrament. Your wife-to-be doesn’t have to be a Catholic for your marriage to be a sacrament, but she must be baptized in a Church that uses the Trinitarian formula. Are you getting married in the Catholic Church? You’ll need a dispensation for mixed marriage (or for disparity of cult if she isn’t baptized). If you are not planning to get married in the Catholic Church, you need a dispensation for lack of Canonical Form in order for the Church to recognize your marriage as valid.
Hi Gabby, There must be something I don’t understand here. Made-up Situation: A Catholic gets married to a non-catholic without a dispensation Said Catholic has kids with that non-catholic Same Catholic has a non-catholic divorce and wants to marry a catholic. The Church has to recognize that something happened during the first marriage. I don’t think they’d allow for the next marriage to go through, thinking the first was never valid. Regards, Harold – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Your children will be Catholic if you have them baptized in the Catholic Church and raise them in the Faith. If the Church recognizes your marriage as valid you may certainly receive communion. Suzanne
Response:
I was an unbaptized Protestantant when I married my wife, a cradle Catholic. While our marriage was valid, it was not a scaramental marriage, a distinction I have now come to appreciate. But what does the distinction mean and what effect does it have? Is the difference akin to being baptized vs. confirmed?
One important difference is that a sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved. On the more mystical side, it is belived that the sacramental grace provided by a sacramental marriage strengthens the marriage bond. Russ "I fear that to me Siamese cats belong to the fauna of Mordor"
Response:
Hello All, I’m getting married to a non-Catholic (not atheist, not anything) soon and have read that the marriage will be recognized as valid, but not a sacrament. Could anyone explain what exactly that means first (beyond ‘a traditional rite of the church’) and also what practical affect it will have on a post Vatican 2 American Catholic? Will our kids be treated as non-catholics when trying to get into school? Can I still take communion? etc… -Harold
Response:
Hello All, I’m getting married to a non-Catholic (not atheist, not anything) soon and have read that the marriage will be recognized as valid, but not a sacrament.
Your wife-to-be doesn’t have to be a Catholic for your marriage to be a sacrament, but she must be baptized in a Church that uses the Trinitarian formula. Are you getting married in the Catholic Church? You’ll need a dispensation for mixed marriage (or for disparity of cult if she isn’t baptized). If you are not planning to get married in the Catholic Church, you need a dispensation for lack of Canonical Form in order for the Church to recognize your marriage as valid. Your children will be Catholic if you have them baptized in the Catholic Church and raise them in the Faith. If the Church recognizes your marriage as valid you may certainly receive communion. Suzanne
Response:
Hello All, I’m getting married to a non-Catholic (not atheist, not anything) soon and have read that the marriage will be recognized as valid, but not a sacrament. Could anyone explain what exactly that means first (beyond ‘a traditional rite of the church’) and also what practical affect it will have on a post Vatican 2 American Catholic? Will our kids be treated as non-catholics when trying to get into school? Can I still take communion?
As long as you have a dispensation from your bishop (readily granted), everything’s fine. Russ "I fear that to me Siamese cats belong to the fauna of Mordor"
Response:
I was an unbaptized Protestantant when I married my wife, a cradle Catholic. While our marriage was valid, it was not a scaramental marriage, a distinction I have now come to appreciate. Ten years later when I converted to the Roman Catholic Church and was baptized (for the first time) at the Easter ceremony where I was welcomed into the church. At the instant of my baptism, my marriage became sacramental. This is according to my priest who is an ex-JAG lawyer and specialized in Canon Law.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello All, I’m getting married to a non-Catholic (not atheist, not anything) soon and have read that the marriage will be recognized as valid, but not a sacrament. Could anyone explain what exactly that means first (beyond ‘a traditional rite of the church’) and also what practical affect it will have on a post Vatican 2 American Catholic? Will our kids be treated as non-catholics when trying to get into school? Can I still take communion? As long as you have a dispensation from your bishop (readily granted), everything’s fine. Russ "I fear that to me Siamese cats belong to the fauna of Mordor"
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