The fact is , there are many marriages under the letter of the law which are not and often were never Marriage in spirit . Some of these can be handled by annulment , sure , but annulments aren ' t infallible and frankly there are even cases where this is the spiritual reality of the situation in spite of there being no invalidating factor under the letter that an annulment could even begin to try to verify . This distinction does not exist in the Catholic tradition . Marriage is an essentially juridical reality , and by forbidding sex outside of marriage , God forbid sex outside the juridical reality which is marriage and which marriage necessarily is . Third After my first marriage failed or was destroyed , I was divorced and , at some point , that marriage dissolved . While my present relationship does not meet the Church ' s official , canonical requirements , it has come to have the moral reality sittliche Realitt of marriage , and so is valid . Therefore , I am not committing adultery , and , provided I have followed the three German bishops ' directions in carrying out my personal review of conscience and am not guilty of some other mortal sin , I may receive Communion . Again we ask Is it open to bishops to think that the decision of conscience thus reached can be correct ? 10699 You do seem to think so , for you regularly speak of remarriage and second marriage , and even suggest as an appropriate example of witness of everyday Christian life that such individuals share the experiences of their unsuccessful first and not infrequently more successful menschlich besser second marriages in discussions das Gesprch der Kirche about marriage and family PPC , IV , 1 . Moreover , you avoid saying the second relationship is invalid and say instead it is not recognized as ecclesiastically valid PPC , IV , int . . Considered together , these expressions suggest that you think the second relationship can be a valid marriage , though not officially recognized as such by the Church . 10699 However , insofar as the decision depends on the belief that the first marriage dissolved and the second relationship is valid as a marriage it cannot be correct , and it would be wrong for a bishop to teach the belief on which it depends . Taken in reference to a valid , consummated , sacramental marriage , that belief contradicts Jesus ' word about marriage , divorce , and adultery , as that word has been understood by the Catholic Church . 10699 The infallibility of the ordinary magisterium suffices to prove this thesis .