A really uncomfortable silence followed, after which I said, “well, I guess I’ll have to take this into consideration.”
He explained: as a devout Catholic, he didn’t believe in divorce (he knew I’d been divorced). The only exception he’d consider would be annulment of my first marriage, for which I could petition the pope.
Thankfully, my future mother-in-law overheard the whole conversation, and intervened. “Stop being stupid Tom. Of course you can marry her!”
Not sure what I’d have done otherwise, but it probably would’ve been pretty entertaining to seek a papal annulment as a flaming atheist.
Did I mention he’d been divorced? Pretty sure he didn’t annul his first marriage either…