Expert Answer Forum
catholic religion QUESTION from cheryl durbin September 11, 2000 i am 34 years old i am trying to convert to catholic my fiance is a catholic and i am not understanding about him being married before and if they well let me join i am needing information on becoming a catholic i went till i was nearly 12 with my grandparents and then only went when was with them i would just like to know more please
thank you cheryl
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, O.L.S.M. on Monday, November 20, 2000 Dear Miss Cheryl:
I applaud your desire to convert to the Church. Praise God. We will be praying for you.
If you are not married to this fellow at the time of your confirmation into the Catholic Church, there is no problem in terms of your conversion. You need to go to your local priest and tell him you wish to convert. He can instruct you on what you will need to do.
If you marry this fellow BEFORE you convert then you are not allowed to be confirmed unless your marriage is proper. If he has been married before, then he will likely have to get an annulment before your marriage can be blessed and you allowed to be confirmed.
He needs to talk to his priest or to the Marriage Tribunal of the diocese you are in and get the annulment proceedings started right away. It can take up to 12 - 18 months to get an annulment.
In any event, your Catholic fiance cannot be properly married to anyone until his previous marriages are declared Null by the Church. He needs to get the annulment process moving.
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