The catholic church does not recognize a D as an end to a M. They only recognize whether the M was valid or not. A D is nothing more than a legal peice of paper to the church.
I know this. I studied Canon Law when I was at Catholic Univ Law School.
If I don't seek an answer to whether or not my M is valid, then I am simply left with questions about it and the church will still recognize it as valid regardless of D unless they look at all the circumstances and make a ruling, at which point I know for sure where the M stands. So you say.
And yes, if they rule it was invalid from the beginning, I am "free" as you put it to seek out a new R. If they rule it was valid from the beginning which is all they are technically supposed to look at, then I am not free according to the church to seek out a R. The M still stands even if the civil system says otherwise. I couldn't feel comfortable marrying someone else down the road if the church says my original M is valid.
Kevin
Then that's why you seek the answer you seek. You are not interested in getting around the rules or bribing your way into getting an annulment; you want peace and Church approval. I accept that. I am not interested in converting you to my way of thinking. I don't believe there's anything I could say that will turn your head and heart and don't need or want to.
But ask yourself why some couples, like my brother & his wife, both previuosly married with children, and neither of whom obtained annulments, were still able to marry in the Church with a full mass? Is it b/c their previous m's weren't valid to you b/c they weren't m in the Church, though they didn't bother getting annulments? Maybe. OR is the Church trying to be more inclusive and less rigid?
Why does it matter in your sitch anyhow? You married your wife in a NON Catholic wedding, correct? IF SO, why ask about HER beliefs? Is the m invalid b/c neither of you considered it a sacrament at the time of m, and so you married in some other church? Regardless....
For me, your views have always been oversimplified and that's what makes you comfortable. Nothing wrong with that. It sounds like an insult but it's not. It's what you do and what you are comfortable with. I'm very comfortable with questions and unsettled matters. My focus is on my faith, not creed, and what unites, not what divides. I'm okay with some gray areas as long as my bottom line is clear, which relates to my actions.
But did you read any of the theological books many have suggested? I strongly recommended you read "Blue Like Jazz" or any CS Lewis theological pieces last spring, so it has been a year since you said you'd look into it...(just sayin') you might find these books thought provoking and that might scare you. But as my parish priest once said, "How can you possibly hold onto a conviction if you never question or challenge it?" He thought challenging our beliefs was a smart healthy idea.
Maybe we'll have a discussion someday about it all, but this isn't the forum for that, and these theological discussions derail you from this site's purpose, don't you think?
j-
M: 57 H: 60 M: 35 yrs S30,D28,D19 H off to Alaska 2006 Recon 7/07- 8/08 *2016* X = "ALASKA 2.0" GROUND HOG DAY I File D 10/16 OW DIV 2/26/2018 X marries OW 5/2016
