Expert: Tom Schott - 5/30/2010

Question
Dear Deacon Schott,

I have been attending Catholic Mass regularly and plan to take my RCIC this Fall. I was not brought up in any church and have not been Christianed or Baptized. When I was younger, I was married to a man in an Anglican church, but that marriage ended in divorce shortly thereafter. I am concerned that if I meet a man and seek to get married in the Catholic church, that I will have to seek some sort of formal annulment within the Anglican church, even though I am not currently considered Christian. The man I married was Christianed. I would be very grateful if you could explain to me the steps I should take to be free to marry after my Baptism within the Catholic Church.

Answer
Jennifer,

If I understand what you are telling me, you will not have to seek an annulment anywhere. As an unbaptized person, you cannot be in a sacramental marriage by definition. So just tell the people at RCIC your situation. That's all that's required.