Hi, guys —

My wife was baptized in a non-Denominational Protestant church (In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost). Her father is Roman Catholic; her mother is Methodist. She was married to another Protestant but was later divorced from him. Until recently she has attended a Catholic liturgy only sporadically, with most of her worship being in a Protestant church.

I was baptized and confirmed as a Byzantine Catholic. I have been away from the Church for almost 20 years and have recently begun attending weekly liturgy again in a Byzantine Parish.
My wife has been coming with me and very much desires to convert, specifically to the Byzantine Rite. She has met with our pastor and has begun studying the Catechism he gave to her.

When my wife and I were married almost two years ago, I was not concerned about doing so with the blessing of the Catholic Church, but as I have come back to the Church I would like to be married in the Church and begin receiving the sacraments again.

• I know the Church will recognize her previous Protestant marriage as valid and she will have to apply for an annulment for us to be married in the Church, but since her father is Roman Catholic and your religion is supposed to be patriarchal, could my wife be considered a Roman Catholic?

I know this might be a stretch, but if possible, we would like to avoid the long process of an annulment.

Guy