As I sort-of-followed the news about the wedding of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, I wondered how it was possible for them to get married in a Catholic Church considering that Kidman had been married to Tom Cruise for ten years and having two children. Now, it appears I have an answer, in the eyes of the Church Kidman and Cruise were not married at all.
Kidman didn’t need an annulment for one simple reason: in the eyes of the Catholic Church her 10-year union with Tom Cruise, a renowned Scientologist, never happened.
(…)
The original wedding was performed in the Church of Scientology and wasn’t recognised by the Catholic faith.
The divorce granted to the couple in 2001 was a legal rather than religious procedure for Kidman.
So Kidman would only have had to have obtained a licence from the Catholic Church saying that she was legally free to marry and that the Church had not recognised her first marriage.
Those critical of the Catholic Church, such as, apparently, Andrew Sullivan, will argue that this is somehow unfair to Catholics who were married in the Church, are now divorced, and can not remarry in the Church without obtaining an annulment. I disagree. From what I understand of them, the Church’s rules on marriage and divorce exist for a reason. You don’t have to like them, but then again you don’t have to be a Catholic either.
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June 27th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Interesting. Of course, it then follows that Kidman spent ten years fornicating with a Scientologist.
June 27th, 2006 at 1:33 pm
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise Never Married
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were never married. At least, not as far as the Pope is concerned.
How did Nicole Kidman, one-time spouse of Tom Cruise, get re-married in a Catholic church if she didn’t have an annulment? Clue: she wasn’t actu…
June 27th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise Never Married
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were never married. At least, not as far as the Pope is concerned.
How did Nicole Kidman, one-time spouse of Tom Cruise, get re-married in a Catholic church if she didn’t have an annulment? Clue: she wasn’t actu…
June 27th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Tom and Nicole never ‘had’ kids, they adopted.
November 18th, 2006 at 11:12 am
[...] At least this means that Katie Holmes will be able to have a real Catholic wedding when she comes to her senses like Nicole Kidman did. [...]