Second Weddings

First marriage not in a church

I have a meeting with my priest about getting an annulment but I'm confused,  My first wedding was not in a catholic church. Do I still need an annulment?  I didn't think I did and we already booked our venue for October of 2013. Now I'm worried. 

Re: First marriage not in a church

  • edited August 2012

    If you have been married before, religious or not, you have to have an annulment.  If the first one was not religious, I believe the annulment process is more streamlined.  ETA:  if it was in a church, but not the Catholic Church, it will still be the long process, and your date is in jeopardy.  Typically, the church will not allow you to set a date until you have the annulment in hand.  You having chosen the date is not the same as setting a date with the church, I presume. 

    It can vary a bit from diocese to diocese, so your priest will tell you how things work specific to your circumstances. ~Donna

  • I chose the date and picked and put a deposit down with the venue. I also booked the date with the church. I thought since I was maried outside the church it was okay, I didn't know i had to get an annulment either way.  I have over a year so hopefully it will be okay.   I could also get married at the venue.  Thanks for your advice.
  • Just be aware that if you get married at your venue instead of waiting for an annulment, your marriage will not be recognized by the Catholic church.  If Catholicism is important to you, you may want to postpone the wedding if necessary to get the annulment processed.
  • Yep, you'll need an anullment. My sister's first wedding was in Vegas, and she needed an anullment before she could marry her second husband. It was fairly easy because it wsnt a catholic wedding and her first husband wasn't catholic....but again, your mileage may vary. Check with the priest performing your ceremony to see what you need to do.
    DSC_9275
  • I'm so confused because some people say I just need a degree of nullity. Which is what the priest told me originally. But he's on a sabatical and not going to be at the church next year.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_second-weddings_first-marriage-not-in-a-church?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:35Discussion:a73fdbee-4312-4d66-a6a6-bb1288bfbaacPost:e8b8281c-99d0-4889-bf83-da96c4c311f0">Re: First marriage not in a church</a>:
    [QUOTE]I'm so confused because some people say I just need a <strong>degree</strong> of nullity. Which is what the priest told me originally. But he's on a sabatical and not going to be at the church next year.
    Posted by yumo29[/QUOTE]

    It is a <u>decree</u> of nullity, which is an annulment.  A decree of nullity is the proper name for an annulment.
  • Oh ok.  That makes sense. I called the tribunal in my area and she said it takes up to 2 weeks not years,  So I should be okay.  Thanks everyone for your responses.

  • Yumo, I would not be relieved so easily.  I think the question she may have been answering is how long it takes to get the document ( the actual decree) once the annulment has been granted.  Getting the actual annulment will take longer than two weeks, I guarantee.

    Cut & pasted from the NJ Archdiocese of Newark webpage:

    TIME
    The time involved depends on several factors: the time it takes for the petitioner to fulfill the Tribunal's requirements; obtaining the needed Church, civil and medical records; establishing canonical grounds; the cooperation of the parties; and the large number of cases before the Tribunal.

    Whatever can be done to arrive at the truth will be done as quickly as possible. The Tribunal can never guarantee a favorable decision or how long a decision will take. Petitioners should never presume that a case will be resolved within a designated period, and absolutely no definite plans should be made for an upcoming wedding.

    The Tribunal staff members try to make themselves as available as possible to persons seeking an annulment. Telephone calls are not the best way to contact the Advocates, who have many appointments and other obligations. Correspondence is best, and will be answered as quickly as possible.

    The Tribunal Office is open Monday through Friday, between 8:45 AM and 4:45 PM. When calling or writing, please refer to the case by the names of the parties to the marriage (the man's name followed by the woman's maiden name, e.g., Doe-Smith).
    link:  http://www.rcan.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_id=48

  • One other suggestion - I just tried this, and the responses were pretty varied in how long it took.  Go to the bottom of this page, to where it says search boards.  Enter "annulment" into the field, change it to all boards and search.  There are a lot of different experiences with annulments out there.  So maybe yours will be quick.  ~Donna
  • I explained my situation and she said once the priest sends the form in it takes 1 to 2 weeks to process.  Thanks for your concern but I am going with what she told me, I am not a religious person and do not have my heart set on getting married in a church,
  • My wedding was not in a church. It is called a defect of form. It is not as long as an annulment. keep  in mind a priest told me the same thing,
  • So...it's none of my business, but then - why bother?  I guess maybe you are doing to please your Fi, which I get.  But it seems like a lot of work & stirring up old wounds for something you don't care about. ~Donna
  • You're right it is none of your business.  But his family would prefer us to get married in a church.
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