Radical Sanation

[Called2Grace]

I just have a question....my hubby and I were married outside of a church but at the time although I was baptised in the Anglican faith I wasn't practicing. My hubby was never baptised. Now that I have converted to Catholicism, I am thinking that I may need to do something to either validate my marriage or make it sacramental. Hubby will not agree to a blessing or marriage in the church so I was thinking of a radical sanate?? Does anyone know about this? I'm not sure that my marriage isn't valid since I wasn't catholic at the time, but I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing.

 

[helenofbritain]

I have no idea what a "sanate" is, but your marriage is valid, so you can breathe again.

The Catholic CHurch recognises all marriages (between men and women) celebrated in any rite or religion or civil ceremony - as marriage is a social good and should be encouraged. Only catholics have to make sure they are properly married in the Catholic Church for the Church to recognise their marriage. Hence Nicole Kidman marrying Keith Urban was fine, because the Church didn't recognise her as being married to Tom Cruise.

As you were married when ytou were a non-Catholic, you marriage is valid as far as Church is concerned.

As for getting your marriage "made" sacramental - impossible on two fronts

#1. Marriage is a one-time Sacrament (in terms of the initial grace.) The Nuptial Blessing that is prayed at a wedding is only ever said once - during the marriage ceremony. Also, marriage is something you confer on each other - the priest (or celebrant) is there as a witness - the couple do the actual marrying. Non-baptised people can't confer sacramental graces, cos they haven't got any

#2. As your husband hasn't been baptised you couldn't have a sacramental marriage anyway, as he hasn't been baptised - and without baptism you don't "qualify" for any other sacraments. I nearly didn't have a sacramental marriage, but my husband entered the Anglican church at Easter 2005 and got triply "done" - and we were married two weeks later. He gout five sacraments in 2 weeks : Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (though technically this one doesn't count for him of course), COnfession and Marriage.

Not bad, eh?

But if he hadn't been baptised, then none of the others would have meant anything.



I see you're at Newcastle Uni. Best uni on the whole planet, eh?

 

[helenofbritain]

Holy Spirit parish is at Kurri Kurri, right? Did you convert when Fr Kevin was there? How cool is he??? That's how cool he is.

 

[Called2Grace]

I only converted last year, so no he wasn't there, we have Fr Gordon now who I really like! I'm sure he would be almost as cool as Fr Kevin!

Ok, so I don't have to worry about my marriage being not valid then? that is a relief....shame about the sacrament though....

Newcastle Uni? yeah well unfortunately they are fairly unorganised in the faculty that I am studying with! But I have had some really wonderful lecturers and some really good experiences to balance it out

 

[Sandlapper277]

Sanation; The act of healing.

Here's what the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has to say about the matter: http://www.archdiocese.la/prayer/sacraments/tribunal/canonical/sanatio.html

I doubt your Priest would have gone ahead and confirmed you if he had any doubt there was a problem with your marriage. Somebody correct me if I'm talking out my rear end, but I'm under the impression a marriage between a baptized and a non-baptized party can never be Sacramental?

 

[helenofbritain]

Somebody correct me if I'm talking out my rear end, but I'm under the impression a marriage between a baptized and a non-baptized party can never be Sacramental?

You are indeed corret.

 

[helenofbritain]

I thought nursing was one of the organised faculties.... well there you go. What do you do with your daughter while you're studying - or is she at school? I guess you drive to uni? I think Assisi was talking to you about Dead Prophets Society? Let me know if you want some info...

Nosy questions.. fell free to ignore

 

[Called2Grace]

She goes to family day care 2 days a week and my MIL looks after her at our place 1 day a week.
Yeah I drive to uni, I basically drop her off at 8am then drive to uni to get a park and also get stuff done, it is almost impossible to get anything done at home

Dead prophets society sounds great I'm in Newcastle on Mondays anyway. I hope I'm up for it Let me know

 

[Ethan_Fetch]

I just have a question....my hubby and I were married outside of a church but at the time although I was baptised in the Anglican faith I wasn't practicing. My hubby was never baptised. Now that I have converted to Catholicism, I am thinking that I may need to do something to either validate my marriage or make it sacramental. Hubby will not agree to a blessing or marriage in the church so I was thinking of a radical sanate?? Does anyone know about this? I'm not sure that my marriage isn't valid since I wasn't catholic at the time, but I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing.

My wife is Lutheran as are my children and when we got married I was Presbyterian.

When I returned to the Catholic Church I had to get a special dispensation since not only had I married a Protestant, I had married her in a Protestant church. Since my wife was unwilling to have the wedding done over again I had to petition the tribunal for a radical sanation which is a double top-secret extra special dispensation from form.

In effect it was just a piece pf paper signed by the Archbishop recognizing my marriage as valid and extending Sacramental status to it retroactively. I was then able to go to confession.

This is, essentially, how I reverted.

A radical sanation is a "cleaning at the root" and is really only for Catholics who marry outside the church but who later decide they want their marriage blessed by the Church and yet whose spouses are unwilling to get re-married in the Church.

It sounds like in your case your marriage is valid as it stands but the marriage tribunal in your diocese should be able to clear things up better for you. Start with your parish priest, chances are excellent that he has a friend or a acquaintance on the tribunal he can call even if he doesn't know the answer right off the top of his head.

But, as I say, from my limited and yet real experience with the issue, I don't think you have a problem at least as far as validity goes.

If you want Sacramentality, they may have a way to do that even for Catholics who convert after having married non-Christians. They have Jesuit trained men in most dioceses who can make black into white and cherries into gasoline so, you should definitely ask.

 

[YourBrotherInChrist]

The Catholic Church now recognizes the legitimacy of the Anglican communion to enact canon law for their own members. Thus, your marriage is judged for validity according to the standards of divine law, as well as according to the ecclesiastical rules of Anglican canon law.

So if your marriage is valid by Anglican standards, then you should be set, as nothing in your opening post mentioned any violations of divine law, e.g., prior divorce.