Divorced British PM, with a string of adulteries, marries his mistress in Catholic Cathedral.

Polygamy is OK as long as it's done successively rather than simultaneously?

His previous marriages were not considered valid by the Church and not made in the Church.

Unlike Henry VIII, who married in the Church and who's marriage to Catherine was valid according to the Church

Inkfingers said:

The idea that Boris' previous marriages were not valid is laughable.

Click to expand...

The Catholic Church only recognizes sacramental marriage, not civil marriages.

Are all non-catholics with civil marriages fornicating?

TIL that Westminster Cathedral != Westminster Abbey.

Salvadore said:

Are all non-catholics with civil marriages fornicating?

Click to expand...

The marriages are legal, but not sacramental which is different in the eyes of the Church.

You don't agree and that's you're prerogative.

However, for a person to get married in the Catholic Church, the Church first has to discern that they were not married before as the Church recognizes marriage.

iluvatar5150 said:

TIL that Westminster Cathedral != Westminster Abbey.

Click to expand...

Westminster Cathedral is a Catholic Church whereas Westminster Abbey is not.

JimR-OCDS said:

The marriages are legal, but not sacramental which is different in the eyes of the Church.

You don't agree and that's you're prerogative.

However, for a person to get married in the Catholic Church, the Church first has to discern that they were not married before as the Church recognizes marriage.

Click to expand...

Just wondering, how does the Church decide? Do you suppose this is why they waited so long to marry?

Salvadore said:

Just wondering, how does the Church decide? Do you suppose this is why they waited so long to marry?

Click to expand...

It's the Catholic annulment process. They take statements, then have professionals investigate and evaluate evidence. They assume previous marriages to be valid until possible shown to be not valid. For a Catholic, you have to get permission from the Church to become to become validly married in the eyes of the Church. So in this case, unlike so many other cases, annulment was rather straightforward and would take little time.

Salvadore said:

Just wondering, how does the Church decide? Do you suppose this is why they waited so long to marry?

Click to expand...

I don't know about other places in the world, but here in the US, there is a tribunal which investigates the previous marriage and decides on whether they were legitimate or not.

One major factor is that the person had no faith when they got married by a JP.