How Giuliani's Marriages Could Annul His '08 Bid

(Hat tip: Regular Guy Paul)

From the New York Daily News:

Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani has made several statements supporting legalized and even taxpayer-funded abortion. Some Catholics believe these warrant a "latae sententiae" excommunication from the church under canon law - in other words, an automatic excommunication that occurs "by the very commission of the offense."

But there is another area on which the grounds for excommunication are much more clear: marriage.

Giuliani is currently in a civil marriage with Judith Nathan. Unlike Giuliani's previous two marriages, this one was not performed under the auspices of the Catholic Church. And unlike his second marriage, he did not receive an annulment from the church for his most recent marriage. As a result, Giuliani could be prohibited from receiving Communion.

In October 1968, in a Catholic wedding in the Bronx, Giuliani married Regina Peruggi. In 1982, the couple was granted an annulment. The reason: Giuliani and Peruggi discovered or revealed they were second cousins, and the church does not allow for marriage within the third degree of kindred.

In April 1984, Giuliani and Donna Hanover were married at St. Monica's church on the upper East Side. With an annulment approved for the Peruggi marriage and a Catholic blessing administered by a priest, this marriage was considered valid in the eyes of the church.

Then came the critical turn. After a May 2000 news conference announcing his intention to separate from Hanover, Giuliani filed for divorce later that year. It was legally finalized in 2002. Before the Second Vatican Council, a few dozen annulments were granted by the Catholic Church for extraordinary circumstances. Today, the requirements for an annulment are relatively simple - a reason, testimony and, in many places, payment to the diocese. Thousands of marriages are annulled each year, spurring critics to label the practice "Catholic divorce." A second annulment, however, is much more difficult to obtain. Add the fact that Giuliani and Hanover produced two children, and it is no surprise the marriage was not annulled.

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My Comments:
I doubt Giuliani will place himself in the situation where he could be embarassed by a Communion line showdown. The last thing he needs is to emphasize that he is a "bad Catholic".