If I Become a Catholic, What Happens to My Marriage? (Part III)

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q: Neither me or my wife are baptized, but we both desire to be and plan on going through the RCIA process in order to do so. I believe I understand that our marriage is valid according to natural law because neither of us are baptized, and as soon as we are baptized it becomes sacramental.  Is it possible to get married again, but through the Church after our baptism/confirmation/communion? We would very much like to be married by a priest and now our marriage by a government official kind of seems lacking in gravitas. Thank you! –Michael Continue reading →

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Canon Law and Selling a Church

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q: Peace!  Lately, members of a local sect had posted online their acquisitions of supposed Catholic parishes in the US and UK. I wonder if that is canonically lawful, selling Parish Churches especially to sects? —Chadwick Continue reading →

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Canon Law and Closing a Parish

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q:  The church I was baptized and confirmed in back home is closing down due to lack of attendance.  What happens to the artifacts and all the official records when that happens? It makes me sad.  I loved my parish… –Donna Continue reading →

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How Do you Fix an Illicit Sacrament?

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q: I recently read your post titled “Can Catholics Marry in any Parish Church They Want?” To my dismay, I learned for the first time that if a wedding takes place outside the parish of residence, permission for the wedding is required not only from the presiding priest but from the priest of the parish where the bride and/or groom live. As such I have learned our marriage is valid but (likely) illicit.

Five months before our wedding, my now-husband suddenly had to move … we booked our wedding at his former parish with the parish priest we knew (and where we were continuing to attend Sunday Mass). We provided this priest our current addresses of residence but he never mentioned the need to gain permission from my husband’s new parish.

… I understand the validity of the sacrament is not in question, and I understand our Lord is merciful and our culpability is reduced by our lack of knowledge and trusting the priest would advise us correctly, but it grieves my husband and myself to be in this position.  Is there anything we should or could do to remedy an illicit status of a sacrament? –Stephanie Continue reading →

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Why Can’t an Ex-Catholic Marry Validly Outside the Church?

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q: Over ten years ago, there were two weddings of ex-Catholic friends outside the Church that I decided to attend, because I considered their membership in other Christian denominations to be a formal renunciation of the Church.  I figured that the weddings were valid in the eyes of the Church because an ex-Catholic isn’t a Catholic any more, and so they weren’t obliged to marry in accord with canonical form.

But then Pope Benedict XVI changed the rules regarding the canonical form of marriage in 2009, to remove the exception for ex-Catholics who had formally renounced the Church.  Was this change retroactive?

Since they were married outside the Church prior to 2009, and with “formal renunciation” of their Catholic faith by way of being baptized into another Christian faith, are their marriages valid?  Or do ALL marriages of Catholics and ex-Catholics now require canonical form, binding on ALL baptized Catholics? –Ann Marie Continue reading →

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