Skip to main contentAccessibility feedback

Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

Dear catholic.com visitors: This website from Catholic Answers, with all its many resources, is the world's largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. A fully independent, lay-run, 501(c)(3) ministry that receives no funding from the institutional Church, we rely entirely on the generosity of everyday people like you to keep this website going with trustworthy , fresh, and relevant content. If everyone visiting this month gave just $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. Do you find catholic.com helpful? Please make a gift today. SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW MONTHLY DONATIONS! Thank you and God bless.

Background Image

May my Divorced Friend Marry a Catholic in the Church?

Question:

My Protestant friend is divorced. She is considering marrying her current boyfriend who is a Catholic. He would like to have a Catholic wedding. Is this possible when my friend is divorced and not a Catholic?

Answer:

Your friend will need to have her first marriage looked at for validity or nullity before she can marry in the Catholic Church. Civil divorce does not end a valid marriage, so if it is determined that her marriage was valid when contracted, then it is still valid and she is not free to marry at all. If it is determined that her marriage was not valid (was null) when contracted, then she should be free to marry. In such a case, her Catholic boyfriend will need to obtain permission (if she is a baptized Christian) or a dispensation (if she is not baptized) to marry her, a non-Catholic, and he will be required to make certain promises. Then they should be able to have a Catholic wedding.

Catholics take Jesus’ teaching very seriously: “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Mt 19:6).

Did you like this content? Please help keep us ad-free
Enjoying this content?  Please support our mission!Donatewww.catholic.com/support-us