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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
re:separating before priest blesses J.P. marriage	Linda	Saturday, October 23, 2004
Question: Dear Brother; In light of your last answer to me about a couple separating before the priest blesses their marriage.(Friday, Oct. 22nd) what would happen if the couple never have the marriage blessed, continue living in sin but a year later divorce. If the man or woman then meet someone and want to marry in the Church how would the Church look at their past history? Would just going to confession be enough or is something else required by the Church before they marry in the Church? Thanks for your previous answer. It caused quite a talk and looking up in the Catechism and internet about the Church's teaching on marriage.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Linda:In all cases, regardless of circumstances, the bottomline to a valid sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church is that both the man and woman must not have any canonical impediments that would preclude a licit and valid marriage in the Church.A marriage between two baptized persons (even if the couple is Protestant) is presumed sacramental in the eyes of the Church unless proven otherwise. Thus a convert to the faith who was married to when he was Protestant may still have to apply for an annulment. If a Catholic is marrying a Protestant who was married before, then the Protestant person may have to apply for an annulment even though he is not Catholic.If a Catholic person wishes to be in good standing with the Church and wishes to marry, but has a messy marital past, the bottomline need is to talk to the local parish priest about the situation and details of that past so that a determination can be made on what must be done, if anything, before a marriage in the Church can be allowed.If the local pastor is not sure, then contact the Marriage Tribunal at the Diocese offices.A couple should NEVER get married when they have a messy past like you describe without first revealing that past to the Church officials and thus getting an official decision on what needs to be done; and it should be an "official" decision, not just an off-the-cuff opinion of the pastor or whoever counsels with the couple.The reason I answer you in this way is that these things can be very complicated and VERY technical in terms of canon law and I am not a Canon Lawyer. I do know that there is no "one answer fits all" since there can be so many variables in the circumstances involved.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

re:separating before priest blesses J.P. marriage

Linda

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Question:

Dear Brother; In light of your last answer to me about a couple separating before the priest blesses their marriage.(Friday, Oct. 22nd) what would happen if the couple never have the marriage blessed, continue living in sin but a year later divorce. If the man or woman then meet someone and want to marry in the Church how would the Church look at their past history? Would just going to confession be enough or is something else required by the Church before they marry in the Church? Thanks for your previous answer. It caused quite a talk and looking up in the Catechism and internet about the Church's teaching on marriage.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Linda:In all cases, regardless of circumstances, the bottomline to a valid sacramental marriage in the Catholic Church is that both the man and woman must not have any canonical impediments that would preclude a licit and valid marriage in the Church.A marriage between two baptized persons (even if the couple is Protestant) is presumed sacramental in the eyes of the Church unless proven otherwise. Thus a convert to the faith who was married to when he was Protestant may still have to apply for an annulment. If a Catholic is marrying a Protestant who was married before, then the Protestant person may have to apply for an annulment even though he is not Catholic.If a Catholic person wishes to be in good standing with the Church and wishes to marry, but has a messy marital past, the bottomline need is to talk to the local parish priest about the situation and details of that past so that a determination can be made on what must be done, if anything, before a marriage in the Church can be allowed.If the local pastor is not sure, then contact the Marriage Tribunal at the Diocese offices.A couple should NEVER get married when they have a messy past like you describe without first revealing that past to the Church officials and thus getting an official decision on what needs to be done; and it should be an "official" decision, not just an off-the-cuff opinion of the pastor or whoever counsels with the couple.The reason I answer you in this way is that these things can be very complicated and VERY technical in terms of canon law and I am not a Canon Lawyer. I do know that there is no "one answer fits all" since there can be so many variables in the circumstances involved.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