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Hi, guys —
I am pleased to have found your site. I may
already have the answers to these questions,
but
I would like some confirmation. I am a happily
married 36 year-old mother of three children
from my second (current) marriage.
I am Catholic and was previously married to
a Methodist. Our relationship was unfaithful and abusive (mentally and physically) and we had
no children. I never had an annulment.
When I met the man I am currently married
to, my attitude towards the Catholic Church
was pretty bad, as was his. I didn't believe
in annulments but looked at them as another
way for the Church to take your money. We
were married in a Protestant church and we
pretty much wrote off the Catholics.
As time
went on, and we matured over time, I realized
that the Catholic Church is where I belonged, even though there was so much I still didn't understand.
When my mother suddenly passed away, it seemed
to have drawn my husband toward the Church.
We began going to church again and enrolled
our son in the Catholic school.
Suddenly his "bad attitude" toward
the Church turned into wanting to be there
and soon he wanted to "convert".
Not even considering my past marriage, we
got him signed up in the RCIA (Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults) program and for fifteen
months he attended classes. Upon finishing, I could see the pride in his eyes. He went
through First Communion and began his journey.
The priest mentioned having our marriage "blessed" in
the Catholic Church, and it wasn't until that
time that I realized it couldn't happen because
my previous marriage was not annulled. I proceeded to tell him that, at which time, he basically
told us, my husband could not be confirmed
until our marriage was "blessed";
talk about a let down.
My husband hasn't been to church since and
I am afraid he is losing interest all over
again. I feel like he was drawn to the Church
and then kicked on his way in. God wouldn't
want him not to become a Catholic simply because
of my past mistakes. He is having a hard time
understanding why his desire to become Catholic
would have anything to do with me and my past.
- I am pretty sure I know a roundabout answer
but could you "spell it out" so
I can try to get him to understand?
He is a very shy person so his taking this
step into the RCIA program was indeed a big
step.
- I am in the process of contacting the
referral I have been given in order to
start the annulment process, but really,
what are my chances of an annulment being
granted?
— We were simply too young and immature
to be married.
— He didn't want children.
— I was forever on birth control
with female reproductive health issues,
and
— he was
abusive and unfaithful.
Sorry I am so long winded but I had to get
this off my chest and I guess I didn't have
the guts to come straight out and ask our
priest.
- After all, I am the Catholic; I should have
known the rules, right?
He's pretty crabby
as well! Ha, Ha.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Anonymous
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