I know I have sinned in my life and I need to fix this. I have been with my fiancé for 9 years and we have a child together, I have also been married twice before, although I have not been with my ex for 10 years, the divorce is just getting finalized. I also have some serious medical conditions and I need to get on my finance’s health insurance immediately so we need to get married ASAP.
If I go straight to the church with this they will make me wait until the two previous marriages are annulled making me wait aprox. 15 months for each annulment and about $1500.each.
My priest made mention one day at church that if you were married outside the church you would have to wait a year before you can be married in the catholic church.
So my question is:
Should I just go down to the J.P., get on the health insurance and wait a year and have it blessed by the church or should I go straight down to the church and wait the time allotted and be without the medical assistance I need?
2007-08-01 04:32:03 · 6 answers · asked by Kiki's Treasure 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Christ never condemned the Sarmatian woman at the well. (John Ch 4) He offered her salvation. Remember this. Do what your heart tells you to do. Pray on it.
I am a Catholic, but there are some things that must be reformed. This is one of them.
2007-08-01 04:43:11 · answer #1 · answered by great gig in the sky 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay, first on the annulments. If you have "lack of canonical form" for either of those marriages, you can get an annulment really fast. Not 15 months. That would be, marrying at the justice of the piece or having a non-Catholic ceremony without dispensation. So maybe that will save you a little time and money on either or both of your previous marriages. (It varies by diocese, but where I live, a "lack of canonical form" situation with all the documentation ready to go is granted within 3 months and only costs $250.) If you had a Catholic wedding at any point, you're looking at the longer time period because it does take time to prove that the marriage was not sacramental.
And please note, the marriage would either be sacramental or not, regardless of what paperwork is filed. If it's not, you'll get your annulment, but if it is sacramental, no annulment is possible. Ever.
Now then, to protect your health, if you want to go ahead and have the JP wedding to get on his insurance, then you can, but you have to bear in mind that that marriage is not at all considered valid in the Catholic Church and you would be continuing to place yourself out of communion with the Church (i.e., you can't receive the Sacraments). For you to become/remain a Catholic in "good standing," you and your fiance would have to abstain from sexual activity until you can be properly married in the Church. It could be that the one year waiting period (another thing that varies by diocese) would be waived if you lived apart and took temporary vows of celibacy for a shorter time period to prove your commitment to doing things right this time.
Every case is decided individually. If I were you, I would certainly get to work on the annulment procedure right away, because that will tell you if you can ever marry again in the Catholic Church.
2007-08-01 12:00:41 · answer #2 · answered by sparki777 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a fellow Catholic, I would say your health is important right now if you have child involved. Get your health situation in order 1st, then get the marriage blessed as soon as you can. There will be no marriage to bless if you don't have your health. Good luck.
2007-08-01 11:43:31 · answer #3 · answered by DAR76 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't sound as if you have personally consulted with your priest. Go and talk to him! He will have the answers. If your health problems are as serious as you say they are, the bishop has the power to make certain...allowances. God will forgive you for anything you have done. Use the Church. Go to confession. Pray. Try going to adoration and asking God what to do. If your life is on the line, do whatever it takes to get better. But really, you need to ask the CHURCH'S advice. I would go talk to your priest ASAP!
2007-08-01 11:47:26 · answer #4 · answered by zauberflote44 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
most medical will not cover preexiasting condintions until 12 after enrollment...be carful, my wife has epilepsy, and my insurance wont cover a lot of her stuff.
2007-08-01 11:41:00 · answer #5 · answered by Ryan P 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would get it done now, your health is on the line
2007-08-01 11:34:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋