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QUESTION: We would like to get married in the Catholic Church but am confused on when an annulment of a previous marriage is required. My first marriage was out of necessity as I was pregnant. We had a non-denominational ceremony. He later turned out to be a drug addicted abuser. My second marriage was performed by a judge. Once again a drug addicted looser. And now I finally have met a wonderful supportive good Catholic man with a good Catholic family. He has never been married nor does he have children. Do I have to get one or both previous marriages annulled?
Thank You in advance for your help :-)
ANSWER: Hi, Mary:
Thanks for the questions.
I certainly wih you the very best in pursuing everything you may need to undertake in order to get married in the Catholic Church, and I sure hope that you have found a true, good match.
It would help a lot to know how to best answer your question if you could let me know whether you are a Catholic yourself? This would help determine better what actual process you might be looking at, whether "anullment" or "lack of form cases."
But one thing I do know for certain is that to get married in the Catholic Church, you will certainly need to present yourselves to a Catholic Priest for marriage preparation. Within this meeting you will need to give the pertinent details of the previous marriages, whether they were potentially "sacramental" or "non-sacramental", etc. The Priest will know how to direct you in the details of those matters.
God bless you...
Fr. Johnson
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Yes I am Catholic. How does that affect annulment and what is lack of form? And what is sacramental in regards to marriage?
Thank-You :-)
Hi, Mary:
Thanks for the clarification, and further questions.
Lack of Form means that a Catholic has gone through a marriage ceremony without following the laws of the Church regarding marriage.
The basic law is that a Catholic must get married by an authorized Catholic Priest or Deacon, in a Catholic Church building, with a Catholic liturgical ceremony, in the presence of two official witnesses...
Unless you did marriage preparation with a Catholic Priest and went through a Catholic liturgical ceremony in your previous marriages, without getting "dispensations" from Canonical Form, then those marriages have never been recognized by the Catholic Church as sacramental marriages.
"Lack of Form Cases" are relatively simple, as they consist of a paperwork trail that requires basically that you present your divorce decrees, and the fact that you were never married by the Authority of the Catholic Church, and did not observe Canonical Form. It sounds as though you ought to be able to take care of this quite easily when you approach your local Parish Priest for Marriage Preparation with your current fiancee.
Fr. 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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