MovieChat Forums > Brooklyn (2015) Discussion > Two bothersome questions

Two bothersome questions

posted 9 years ago by pjpoconnell
3 replies | jump to latest

I would appreciate it if someone knowledgeable, truly knowledgeable, in both Irish law and Catholic canon law could answer these questions:
1. My understanding is that Ireland didn't allow divorce until the 1990s. Therefore, what kind of relationship could Eilis have had with Jim?

2. Under Catholic canon law, would not the fact that Eilis, a Catholic, had "attempted marriage" outside the Church have posed problems for her with regard to both a religious wedding with Tony, which his family and hers would have wanted, or any kind of a marriage with Jim?

[–] JaneThree 9 years ago

The book doesn't address this, which puzzled me. I think Eilise could have gotten an annulment (even civil weddings needed to be annulled before a Catholic can remarry in the Church). These reasons:

1. The marriage to Tony wasn't consummated. They had sex before, but not after.
2. Eilise was in emotional distress when she married, due to the death of her sister, so she could say her judgment was clouded by grief.

So it is feasible she could have gotten an annulment and married Jim in the Catholic Church afterwards.

Eilise and Tony:

Nothing would prevent Eilise and Tony from marrying in the Catholic church after a civil ceremony. These would be considered separate matters by the church.

[–] pjpoconnell 9 years ago

Jane Three: Thank you very much for this information!

[–] allisonjoys 9 years ago

And my understanding was they weren't going to tell anyone. They said something about one day telling their kids.