I am Catholic and have never been married. My fiance was married in a catholic church in 1984 and divorced in 1987. He remarried in 1989 and was diveroced in 1991. His first marriage was annulled around 2000. Does the catholic church recognise his second marriage sine he was still married in the eyes of the catholic church when it occured and can we be married in a catholic church?

-- Catherine McKearney (cmckearney@aol.com), October 19, 2002

Answers

Response to Does the church recognise the second marriage if the first was annulled after it occured

Jmj

Hello, Catherine.

Reviewing the dates of the events you enumerated, I feel almost certain that all necessary actions were taken in 2000, leaving your friend free to marry for the first time in his life.

The only potential "snag" I can picture is this unlikely scenario:
Suppose that your friend formally left the Catholic Church at some point before the 1989 "remarriage." If that is what happened, then what occurred in 1989 may have been a valid, non-Catholic marriage (since what occurred in 1984 was not valid). That is why the marriage tribunal in 2000 needed to be made aware of the 1989 ceremony. If your friend left the Church prior to 1989 and failed to tell the tribunal about his 1989 "remarriage," then he needs to divulge those facts now -- as a second Declaration of Nullity would be required (before he could marry you).

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), October 20, 2002.