If You're Divorced, Why Would You Need an Annulment

[LMB]

My fiance was married for 13 yrs, divorced now for 5 yrs. They had five kids together. We are planning on getting married in June in a Catholic church. I have never been married, he is becoming Catholic. My priest has said that my fiance will need to get an annullment. I can't understand why at all. Would there ever be a reason for an annullment after a divorce to get married in the Catholic church?

[akodo jaku]

Yes. The Catholic faith does not accept divorce. Annullments are used as "loopholes" to get around this. Its part of the till-death-do-us-part. :wink:

[ceara]

However, if his first marraige was not performed in a catholic church, the church will not recognize it. Therefore, as far as the church is concerned, he has never been married and would have no need for an annulment (which are VERY hard to get from the Vatican)

[LMB]

That's what I always thought that if they weren't Catholic and the marriage was not in a Catholic church, then the marriage is not recognized. I told the priest that, and he still said he might need to get an annulment. That doesn't make any sense at all. But at least I know the facts for sure and maybe the preist just has to make sure my fiance is divorced by seeing his divorce papers. Also, I thought if a couple has children, that an annulment can't be done anyway.

[ceara]

Annulments still go through the Vatican. Since they will not recognize the marraige to begin with, the annulment will be denied. It is possible to have the marraige annuled by the church even when children are involved. My mother had one child when she requested an annulment from her first husband. It took 5-6 YEARS to get it and by then she was remarried with another child, but she did get it. I think there have been a couple of Kennedy's that have gotten annulments from the church even though they had children, in the past few years.

[LMB]

We talked to the priest last night. He said that if my fiance's ex and/or he was Catholic when he married her at the justice of the peace, the Church wouldn't recogize the marriage because a Catholic is supposed to get married in a church and if they don't, the church will not recogize the marriage. But....if neither of them were Catholic and got married by the Justice of the Peace, then the chuch would recognize the marriage and an annulment would be necessary. That is contrary to what I have ever heard and it sounds very backwards. But it's true. Now my fiance has to find out where his ex was baptized Catholic and get that put on a letter that gets sent to City Hall and then we will get a certificate saying he is free to marry. I'm afraid his ex will give him a hard time about giving him an answer about where she was baptized.

[ceara]

You might want to check here:
http://www.vatican.va/
just to double check the info you were given. It's the official website of The Holy See, so the only way to get info that would be anymore acurate than what is on the site, you would need to go directly to god (or Pat Robertson, depending on who you believe).

[LMB]

I like the way you put that. Thanks so much for the info and advice. I will check it out.

[ceara]

I tend to be good with scathing sarcasm. As a writer, it's what pays my bills! Hope you get the info you need.