“By the way, I run into this problem all the time with RCIA. A couple in their 30’s or 40’s ardently wants to come into the Church, both were baptized Protestants, both had a busted-up marriage in their youth, now the Diocesan Tribunal has to dig up respondents that have, themselves, remarried years ago”.
Something don’t add up here. What they did as Protestants should mean nothing. They didn’t receive a sacramental wedding in the Catholic Church as Protestants. The Catholic Church annulment process is for Catholics. There is a form they have to fill out that says they were protestants when they were married before. The priest signs off on it. They do not have to get an annulment like Catholics. Sounds to me like they are being given the runaround.
The above statement is incorrect.
This is incorrect.
Protestant Baptism is valid --- just like Catholic Baptism. And as we know, the "minister" of the Sacrament of Matrimony is not the priest, but by the baptized couple themselves. They confer marriage upon each other. Therefore a true Sacramental bond is established in the marriage of any validly baptized man and woman, whether they are Catholic or not.
The Catechism (para 2382) says that a ratified and consummated Christian marriage is indissoluble. This is a marriage where the vows are exchanged by two baptized (Christian) persons, with the proper intention, and consummated by sexual intercourse. "No power on earth can declare such a marriage null and the parties free to remarry." Sometimes people are astounded to hear that, but it's true. The Catholic Church is canonically bound to respect the marriage bond established by validly baptized spouses, whether they are Catholic or not.