My wife is Presbyterian and I am Methodist and we both want to convert to the Catholic Church. She was married first in 1972, divorced, married a second time, divorced, married a third time, divorced, married me in 1983 and we have been married ever since. It was my first and only marriage. Last year her first husband who later remarried another woman died. None of the people involved are Catholics, but all involved are christians. If her first marriage was valid, then obviously her 2d, 3d, and marriage to me was not, but since her first husband has died can we get all her subsequent marriages, even ours annulled and become Catholic and get married in the Catholic church? What do we have to do and in what order to get right with God, the church, and then how do we sacrementally marry one another?

-- Gerald Arthur Champion, Jr. (jerrychampion@earthlink.net), June 27, 2004

Answers

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-- (bump@to.top), June 28, 2004.

Gerald,

You're on the right track. Since your wife's first spouse is now deceased that marriage no longer needs to be looked at by the tribunal. Her second and third marriages would need to be examined by the tribunal for possible nullity. Your own marriage would not have to be so investigated, however. Presuming the previous marriages are declared null then your current marriage could be dealt with. So, I would contact your local pastor or the local marriage tribunal to get the ball rolling.

Hope that's helpful.

-- Fr. Mike Skrocki, JCD (cand) (abounamike@aol.com), June 28, 2004.