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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
invalid marriage	scarlett	Friday, September 19, 2008
Question: I have recently returnrd to the Church after many years away.I have been going to Mass faithfully every Sunday and sometimes more for 5 mos.I had a general confession and continue to go at least every 2 weeks. For almost the entirety of this time I was receiving the Eucharist faithfully as well.That is , until my RCIA instructor informed me that my marriage is not valid and I should no longer receive. However upsetting ,I am not writing to complain.I accept this teaching of the Church as a chastisement of my past disobedience(I left an account of my illicit relationship with my now husband). I know that obedience and humility in this matter and other seemingly hard teachings of the Curch will be pleasing to my Lord and increase His grace.This is a painful loss to me, though and must be fixed. I understand my options are either to receive a dispensation from the bishop or my husband can convert to the faith.He is not a religious man and my faith in Jesus is like a foreign language to him even though he says he believes Him.Husband says he was baptized in a baptist church.I don't want him to make a confession of faith falsely out of love for me,however much I want a fully sacramental marriage.And I am tempted to receive the dispensation ,as this would put me in good standing faster,so I can receive the Blessed sacrament again.But I fear for my husbands soul and would like him exposed to the Gospel and teachings of the Church,so that with my fervant prayers,there may be hope for him yet.What to do?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Scarlett: I praise God for your return to the Church. Your husband does not have to convert and you do not need dispensation from the bishop since he is baptized. What you need to do is to approach your pastor and explain to him that you wish to have your marriage regularized and blessed in the Catholic Church so that you can be in good standing and receive the Sacraments. He can then instruct you what will be required. Your husband will have to cooperate with this, of course, but he does not have to convert to the Catholic Church. It is critically important that you do this for the sake of your own soul. You cannot help your husband's soul if your own soul is in sin. Seek out your pastor and find out what is necessary for your marriage to be blessed in the Church so that you may begin receiving our Lord in the Sacrament as soon as possible. Receiving the Sacrament will give you the spiritual strength and grace to help your husband -- but remember, you cannot nag or pressure your husband into the faith. But you can gently encourage him once-in-awhile, be an example to him, and pray for him. By the way, if both of your are baptized, even if he is baptized in the Baptist church, then your marriage is fully Sacramental once you regularize it in the Church. Marriage between two baptized persons, even if one is not Catholic, is considered Sacramental. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

invalid marriage

scarlett

Friday, September 19, 2008

Question:

I have recently returnrd to the Church after many years away.I have been going to Mass faithfully every Sunday and sometimes more for 5 mos.I had a general confession and continue to go at least every 2 weeks.

For almost the entirety of this time I was receiving the Eucharist faithfully as well.That is , until my RCIA instructor informed me that my marriage is not valid and I should no longer receive. However upsetting ,I am not writing to complain.I accept this teaching of the Church as a chastisement of my past disobedience(I left an account of my illicit relationship with my now husband).

I know that obedience and humility in this matter and other seemingly hard teachings of the Curch will be pleasing to my Lord and increase His grace.This is a painful loss to me, though and must be fixed.

I understand my options are either to receive a dispensation from the bishop or my husband can convert to the faith.He is not a religious man and my faith in Jesus is like a foreign language to him even though he says he believes Him.Husband says he was baptized in a baptist church.I don't want him to make a confession of faith falsely out of love for me,however much I want a fully sacramental marriage.And I am tempted to receive the dispensation ,as this would put me in good standing faster,so I can receive the Blessed sacrament again.But I fear for my husbands soul and would like him exposed to the Gospel and teachings of the Church,so that with my fervant prayers,there may be hope for him yet.What to do?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Scarlett:

I praise God for your return to the Church.

Your husband does not have to convert and you do not need dispensation from the bishop since he is baptized.

What you need to do is to approach your pastor and explain to him that you wish to have your marriage regularized and blessed in the Catholic Church so that you can be in good standing and receive the Sacraments.

He can then instruct you what will be required.

Your husband will have to cooperate with this, of course, but he does not have to convert to the Catholic Church.

It is critically important that you do this for the sake of your own soul. You cannot help your husband's soul if your own soul is in sin. Seek out your pastor and find out what is necessary for your marriage to be blessed in the Church so that you may begin receiving our Lord in the Sacrament as soon as possible.

Receiving the Sacrament will give you the spiritual strength and grace to help your husband -- but remember, you cannot nag or pressure your husband into the faith. But you can gently encourage him once-in-awhile, be an example to him, and pray for him.

By the way, if both of your are baptized, even if he is baptized in the Baptist church, then your marriage is fully Sacramental once you regularize it in the Church. Marriage between two baptized persons, even if one is not Catholic, is considered Sacramental.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum