A reader writes:
My husband was previously married when i got married to him. since the catholic church does not allow that – we got married with the protestant church minster. (For me this was my first marriage) – I want to know who can i approach for annulment of his first marriage and also that we can receive holy communion in this state.
thanks for your help.
The thing to do in your situation is for your husband to call your local parish and say that he is interested in pursuing the annulment process. They can then make an appointment for him to get set up with the paperwork to begin the process.
If you or he are interested in learning more about the annulment process first, I recommend
and
Hope this helps!
If you want another perspective on what annulments and the whole process is about from a respondent, e- mail me or join groups.yahoo.com/group/defendingmarriage/.
The “Official” position is false and wrought with unresolvable injustices. The Catholic Church REFUSES to address the truth. If Mr. Akin disagrees he is simply wrong or badly ill-informed.
I think you are ignoring some important things about canon law and Church teaching in advising this woman. Canon Law gives benefit of the doubt to the marriage. JPII writes about this in his 2004 address to the Roman Rota: “I would like once again to reflect on the matrimonial cases submitted to you and, in particular, on one pastoral and juridical aspect that emerges from them: “I am alluding to the favor iuris (the favour of the law) that marriage enjoys, and to the associated presumption of its validity in case of doubt, as declared in can. 1060 of the Latin Code and in can. 779 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.” I really encourage you and your readers to read these addresses to the Rota. The Holy Father is the ultimate interpreter of Canon Law and he knows best. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/index_spe-roman-rota.htm
It sounds like you are assuming her “husband” (he is technically his first wife’s husband as far as the Church is concerned, regardless of civil divorce, which the Church does not recognize) has grounds for an annulment which you don’t know because you don’t have any details about his marriage. So if he is really someone else’s husband we can’t assume this will be a slam dunk at the tribunal, just a matter of filling out the paperwork and in the meantime he and his new “wife” may continue living together and committing adultery. Adultery is a grave sin and if the other conditions of mortal sin apply, one who dies without repenting of adultery goes to hell. I think we need to remind readers of the seriousness of this. There is a thread going on at the Catholic Answers site under Radio on a show on annulments. Someone posted about a priest who refused a man absolution who was in a similar situation and he and his first wife reconciled. Reconciliation is what the Church prefers and Canon Law states the tribunal must investigate whether reconciliation is possible. Whether or not this is practiced in the US is another matter.
Dear Jodi,
My EXPERIENCE speaks otherwise from a now 15 year battle in the catholic Church. I would submit that your example is the exception and not the general rule but I doubt that priests would be honest, they have too much to lose should their bishops become real Catholics.
Karl
This is in response to the woman married outside the Church to a man who has been married before in the Catholic Church. Jimmy Akin advises her to have him look into a declaration of nullity of his first marriage.
However, there is no Church tradition for such an approach. St. Paul wrote the Corinthians (1 Cor. 7:10-11) that a couple is not to separate and if they do, that they are to reconcile or to live the rest of their lives alone. Corinth was a corrupt society not unlike our own. People then, like people today in America, did not view marriage as permanent if they were not fulfilled.
St. Paul didn’t care. He expected them to rise above low cultural expectations if they hoped for eternal life.
To offer decrees of nullity by the tens of thousands, as American tribunals do, is causing the Church in America to lose what little credibility it has left.
Jimmy Akin should have told the woman to leave him; that he is someone else’s husband. Furthermore, someone should have made it clear to both of them a long time ago that they had no right even to date.
There is absolutely no reason to listen or believe anything Sheryl Temaat has to say regarding proper lifestyle.