Divorce- remarrying your divorced partner

[johncar]

I have been asked by a friend if she can 're-marry' her husband, whom she married in the catholic church,  but from whom she is now divorced.

Neither have remarried since their divorce.

I have searched the internet but cannot find the answer.  I would assume that as the church does not recognise divorce they musr still be married in the eyes of the church, thus it would require some civil proceedings to be recognised as married again the eyes of the state.

If anyone knows I should be grateful.

Thanks  John

[m_t]

Of course they can remarry. The law doesn't care about the state of their marriage wrt the Church. But to be considered legally married, they'd need to remarry under civil authority.

[johncar]

Of course they can remarry. The law doesn't care about the state of their marriage wrt the Church. But to be considered legally married, they'd need to remarry under civil authority.

Sorry, can they, do the need to,  remarry in the Catholic Church.

[m_t]

Of course they can remarry. The law doesn't care about the state of their marriage wrt the Church. But to be considered legally married, they'd need to remarry under civil authority.

Sorry, can they, do the need to,  remarry in the Catholic Church.

They would have to ask their priest. I'm not Catholic, but I don't see why the Church would perform a marriage service for a couple the Church still recognizes as married. However, the *state* does NOT recognize them as married, so they *would* need to remarry under a civil authority (which could be the Church, as the state grants the Church the right to perform marriages).

So they need to ask their priest if he would/could perform another marriage service, or if they just go to a Justice of the Peace.

[johncar]

Thanks for that.

It was my assumption too but does anyone know for sure.

Maybe they, or someone they know, as done the same.

Thanks   John

[Wolfy]

My ex is Catholic and I think they consider us "not married". I would check with the preist.

[H0$$]

I'm sorry, but reading this thread makes me realize just how ridiculous the world has become. Married not married, married according to the church not according to the state, divorced by the state considered still married by the church. People will buy into anything if they think it will get them a front row seat in heaven. Just make sure you show up at the Pearly Gates with your official marriage certificate.

[m_t]

My ex is Catholic and I think they consider us "not married". I would check with the preist.

However, you would not be able to marry someone *else* in the Catholic Church, would you? Not unless you had your previous marriage annulled. So, to me, that indicates that the Church still considers the two of you married, in some manner. But yes, a priest should be consulted.

[Wolfy]

Tha's a good question. I'm Lutheran, so I wonder how that enters into it.

Hoss

I don't think making things legally and religiously as right as possible is a wrong thing. To many people religion is just as important as what is done by the courts.

[allbusiness]

The best person to ask that question is the priest at her church.

Do they want to get married in the Catholic Church a second time? Is that the reason she is wondering?

Under normal circumstances, anyone wanting to be "re-married" by the Catholic Church has to get an annulment by the tribunal. However, in this instance, they are remarrying the same person instead of someone new...the Church may just do a ceremony so that the marriage is again recognized by the state, even though they are still considered "married" by the Church.

Did they get it annulled through the Church the first time? I am guessing not, because this question would be unnecessary if they had.

[H0$$]

Sure wolfy, it all makes perfect sense. If you want to get remarried you have to have the church annul the original marriage of which the law has already divorced you. So the church says we'll just play like that little "marriage" you had never really happened that way you can get married again and still go to heaven. Maybe all of that just strikes me as, well, ridiculous.

[Wolfy]

It can be rediculas because as a general rule we believe in separtion of Chruch and state.

[allbusiness]

It can be rediculas because as a general rule we believe in separtion of Chruch and state.

It still is separated.

These two don't have to be remarried in the Catholic Church. They could easily go to the courthouse and be married a second time.

If they are both Catholic and want their marriage to be recognized again, if it indeed was ever invalidated by the church, it is their *choice* to decide whether they wish to do whatever it takes to be remarried within the faith.

The Catholic Church does not say a marriage never happened...children of marriages in the Catholic faith that are annulled are not bastardized. What they do say is the marriage, although it happened, was not valid due to the incapability of someone to actually take the vows and follow through with them and that incapability existed before the marriage took place. (I know one person who that was true of... )

So, it is all about personal choice here...and it isn't hurting anyone, so what is the big angst?

[m_t]

Someone just needs something to argue about.

[Ros]

As someone who was raised Catholic and had a childhood filled with Catholic indoctrination and guilt trips, it never ceases to amaze me how strong the indoctrination remains.

That people can be together for years, have children together and then get the marriage "annulled". As I always understood it, an annulment would register a marriage as null and void, as if it never happened, and was supposed to be used for marriages that were usually short lived or non consumnated. That is, evidence of lack of judgement would be obvious, sooner rather than later.

Now it seems that people go for annulments to get a validation from their faith that they're "okay" in their divorce, or that their marriage was never really valid. Even when there marriage has existed over a number of years or children are clear evidence of consumnation.

You ask for an annulment to get validation from the religion. What, in the eyes of God, is the difference between a Catholic marriage and a marital commitment made by any other couple in any other religion, or even in a registry office? It's almost as if the Catholic church is saying that the only valid marriages on the planet are those performed by a Catholic priest.

But from Catholic point of view, I would say that if the church annulled the marriage, they're saying it was never valid in the first place, so therefore, they should be able to marry in the Catholic church as if they're marrying for the first time. There should be no problem, and if it doesn't work out this time, they can always go get it annulled again. (Sorry, for the cynicism, but the religion I was raised in just has too many contradictions for me to have remained Catholic)