Diva
05-10-02, 12:36AM
News (http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/metro/0502/09gingrich.html) - Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has asked the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta to annul his marriage to second wife Marianne Gingrich, whom he divorced in 1999.
In a letter provided by Marianne Gingrich dated April 30, Monsignor David P. Talley informed her that Newt Gingrich based his request for annulment on the fact that Marianne had been married previously.
"We were married 19 years, and now he wants to say it didn't exist," Marianne Gingrich said of the former speaker, adding that neither were Catholic.
Newt Gingrich and archdiocese officials declined to confirm the request.
Gingrich is now married to Callista Bisek, with whom he admitted to having a six-year affair. Bisek's religious affiliation could not be confirmed, but she has sung for the National Shrine Choir at Catholic University in Washington.
According to church law, a Catholic is not allowed to receive Holy Communion if married to someone whose previous marriage has not been annulled.
An annulment must be approved by a tribunal and court of appeals within the local archdiocese. Church officials point out that annulment within the Roman Catholic Church is unrelated to annulment or divorce proceedings in civil court. An annulment has no bearing on the legitimacy of children within the marriage, nor does it deny the existence of the marriage. The only question is whether the marriage was a proper covenant made before God. Gingrich married Marianne Ginther in 1981, a year after his divorce from first wife Jackie Battley. It is unclear whether Battley received a similar request for annulment. If Gingrich's previous marriages are declared null, he and Bisek could ask that the Catholic church recognize their marriage, church officials said.
Gingrich served metro Atlanta's 6th Congressional District for 20 years, leading House Republicans in 1994 to their first majority in 40 years.He cheated on his wife! Now the church can snap their fingers and *Poof!* the marriage is annuled? He's not even catholic! I do not understand how cheating on a woman is okay, even if he cheated on his first marriage too... but because she was married before he can annul the whole damn thing.
In a letter provided by Marianne Gingrich dated April 30, Monsignor David P. Talley informed her that Newt Gingrich based his request for annulment on the fact that Marianne had been married previously.
"We were married 19 years, and now he wants to say it didn't exist," Marianne Gingrich said of the former speaker, adding that neither were Catholic.
Newt Gingrich and archdiocese officials declined to confirm the request.
Gingrich is now married to Callista Bisek, with whom he admitted to having a six-year affair. Bisek's religious affiliation could not be confirmed, but she has sung for the National Shrine Choir at Catholic University in Washington.
According to church law, a Catholic is not allowed to receive Holy Communion if married to someone whose previous marriage has not been annulled.
An annulment must be approved by a tribunal and court of appeals within the local archdiocese. Church officials point out that annulment within the Roman Catholic Church is unrelated to annulment or divorce proceedings in civil court. An annulment has no bearing on the legitimacy of children within the marriage, nor does it deny the existence of the marriage. The only question is whether the marriage was a proper covenant made before God. Gingrich married Marianne Ginther in 1981, a year after his divorce from first wife Jackie Battley. It is unclear whether Battley received a similar request for annulment. If Gingrich's previous marriages are declared null, he and Bisek could ask that the Catholic church recognize their marriage, church officials said.
Gingrich served metro Atlanta's 6th Congressional District for 20 years, leading House Republicans in 1994 to their first majority in 40 years.He cheated on his wife! Now the church can snap their fingers and *Poof!* the marriage is annuled? He's not even catholic! I do not understand how cheating on a woman is okay, even if he cheated on his first marriage too... but because she was married before he can annul the whole damn thing.