Would conversion to Catholicism mean my CofE marriage is in any way "invalid"?!

[IzzyWizzyletsgetbusy]

Hello - am hoping some knowledgeable Catholics (or others!) can help me.

I'm currently Anglican Catholic but recently been considering converting to Roman Catholicism. Just wondering though where we would stand in terms of marriage etc - dh and I were married 9 years ago in lovely CofE ceremony, mainly at my insistence (he is agnostic although christened CofE) so that we would be married in the eyes of God. We've worked hard at our marriage and are very happy. I think it would really bother me if this wasn't seen as valid IYKWIM.

Anyone know what the RC stance would be on this? I wouldn't fancy having to convalidate as it would be like saying it wasn't a proper marriage, which IMO isn't true. Or would it be accepted because we were both CofE at the time?

It would be regarded as perfectly valid.
Hth!

Not sure, you can always get it blessed.

I'm not sure about marriage but I know that Anglican baptism is recognized by RC. I had an Anglican Baptism and an RC confirmation. I married a non Catholic and had to get permission from the Bishop to get married. I had a con validation after a civil wedding and I think that these can be backdated iykwim.

It would be regarded as valid. I know this as I am a (now former) RC who wanted to marry an agnostic who'd been baptised as a baby, and who had been married in a C of E church.

We'd both been married before and we both needed an annulment before we could get married to each other in the RCC.

So I became an AC (although I've been told that once a RC, always a RC )

Because you were both C of E at the time, it would be regarded as valid.

Sorry to hijack - ladyconstance, do you mean they can backdate a blessing to the date of a register office marriage?

DH converted to Catholicism and one of his fellow "convertees" had her CofE marriage blessed because she wanted it to be "recognised" by her new church community. I think it was entirely voluntary. I am sure your marriage is regarded as entirely valid.

DH went back to Anglo Catholicism a few years later. As a "cradle" (now ex) Catholic, I could never see much difference in the rites which was a relief when I did go to church with him because all the words, kneeling etc came in pretty much the same form and place

Thanks all, am feeling happier

savetheplanet - agree re the rites etc, often no difference. In fact all our relatives (including RC relatives!) assumed we had had our DCs baptised Roman Catholic after sitting through the service. They were all checking the notice board as they left to see if it really was a CofE church!

Its even more confusing if you go to an AC church which uses "Roman Rite" (ie the Novus Ordo mass)!

Ladyofwaffle I think so but I'm not sure. I really should know

I didn't think they could backdate a blessing following a registry office wedding, because the wedding would be deemed to be invalid?

Sorry, thought that was what you meant by the backdated validation. I feel quite bad that I have had 2 sons in an invalid marriage I really must talk to the priest sometime...

I'm not an expert, I could be wrong .

(Roman) Catholics have to marry according the the rules of the Catholic Church for it to be valid. Non-Catholic marriages count providing they were valid to the people involved at the time. Conversions don't affect this rule.

Thus a non-Catholic divorced from a non-Catholic is still 'not free' to marry a Catholic unless the first marriage is annulled.

So if (for example) you were a Catholic woman who wanted to marry a Muslim who'd had 4 wives previously, he would have to have all 4 marriages annulled before you could go ahead and book the church!

If they don't recognise your marriage then perhaps you need to think twice about making the switch.