Legal Definitions - Petrine privilege

The Petrine privilege refers to a specific authority held by the Pope within the Roman Catholic Church. It allows the Pope to dissolve a marriage between one spouse who has been baptized and another who has not, under particular circumstances. This privilege is typically exercised when the dissolution of the existing marriage would serve the interests of the Church, especially to enable one of the parties to enter into a valid Catholic marriage. It is applied when another form of dissolution, known as the Pauline privilege, is not applicable.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of the Petrine privilege:

• Example 1: A Catholic seeking to marry another Catholic.

  Sarah, a devout Catholic, was previously married in a civil ceremony to Daniel, who had never been baptized. After their civil divorce, Sarah met Michael, also a devout Catholic, and they wish to marry in the Catholic Church. For their marriage to be recognized as valid by the Church, Sarah's previous bond with Daniel must be dissolved. Since Daniel was unbaptized, Sarah can petition the Pope for the Petrine privilege to dissolve her first marriage, thereby allowing her to sacramentally marry Michael within the Church.

  This example demonstrates the Petrine privilege because Sarah, a Catholic, was married to an unbaptized person (Daniel). The dissolution of this marriage by the Pope allows her to enter a new, valid Catholic marriage, which is considered beneficial to the Church's interests by enabling a Catholic to live fully within its marital teachings.

• Example 2: A baptized non-Catholic seeking to marry a Catholic.

  Mark, who was baptized as a Methodist, was married to Laura, an individual who had never received baptism. Their marriage ended in a civil divorce. Mark later fell in love with Emily, a committed Catholic, and they desire to marry in the Catholic Church. To proceed with a Church wedding, Mark's prior marriage to Laura would need to be dissolved in the eyes of the Church. Even though Mark is not Catholic, he could seek the Petrine privilege because Laura was unbaptized, enabling him to marry Emily within the Catholic tradition.

  This scenario illustrates the Petrine privilege being applied to a baptized non-Catholic (Mark) who was previously married to an unbaptized person (Laura). The dissolution of his prior marriage enables him to marry a Catholic (Emily) in the Church, which is seen as beneficial to the Church's mission and the spiritual well-being of its members.

• Example 3: Two unbaptized individuals, where one later converts and wishes to marry a Catholic.

  Prior to their civil divorce, John and Maria were married, and neither of them had ever been baptized. Some years later, Maria underwent a profound spiritual journey, converted to Catholicism, and became an active member of her parish. She subsequently met David, a lifelong Catholic, and they wish to marry in a Church ceremony. For Maria to marry David sacramentally, her previous marriage to John (both unbaptized) would need to be dissolved. Maria could petition for the Petrine privilege, as her conversion and desire to marry within the Church's sacrament are considered beneficial to the Church.

  This example demonstrates a more unique application of the Petrine privilege. Here, both parties in the original marriage (John and Maria) were unbaptized. However, because one of them (Maria) has since converted to Catholicism and wishes to marry a Catholic (David) in the Church, the Pope may exercise the Petrine privilege to dissolve her prior marriage, facilitating her full participation in Catholic life and sacraments.