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Question
My fiance and I are both divorced catholics. I know our marriage will not be recognized by the catholic church without an annulment, but here is my question: can we ask a catholic priest to officiate in a civil ceremony?
Hi, Jill:
Thanks for the question.
You can ask; but if the Priest wishes to be true to his ministry as an ordained Catholic Priest and in good standing with his Bishop, he will not officiate under such circumstances.
Honestly I wonder: why would you enter into a second marriage that would not be recognized by the Church?
Will you both be using the same basic marriage vows you used in your first marriages? I thought that marriage vows state that the union being entered into is "until death." Never have I encountered true marriage vows that state "until divorce."
And if there was truly something about each of your former marriages that there honestly and truly is good reason to believe that God did not really join into a sacramental marriage in those cases would be reason enough to at least submit your cases to the marriage tribunal.
I would be interested to know for your sakes and your standing in the Church as pertains to your capacity to live the life of practicing Catholics, able to receive the Sacraments:
Were each of your "first marriages" actually done in the Catholic Church, that is "by the Authority of the Catholic Church," observing CANONICAL FORM? Because if either or both of your cases consisted of marriages done without observing Canonical Form, then they would not have been recognized by the Church anyway. It would sure be worth looking into these matters with more care, since it is quite literally a case of spiritual life & death.
Fr. Timothy Johnson
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Answers by Expert:
Fr. Timothy Johnson
Expertise
A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.
Experience
I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001.
Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)
Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology;
MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary;
2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality.
BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy;
BA - Liberal Arts;
AA - General Studies.
Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15.
Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office.
I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church.
Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.
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