Can the Catholic Tribunal annul a blessed marriage that was first a civil marriage?

Answer 1

A civil marriage union that has never at any time been re-avowed in the Rites of the Catholic Church before an ordained Catholic priest would not be a marriage recognised by the Catholic Church. It would be considered a marriage 'outside' of the Church. Therefore it is unlikely that the Catholic Tribunal would see any requirement to apply for a Papal Dispensation to annul the marriage, because in the eyes of the Church there would be no marriage to annul. If the civil union, were later properly re-avowed in the Catholic Rite before an ordained Catholic priest, then any previous ceremonies are irrelevant to the Church and the Church would recognise the marriage. In that case an application to His Holiness, The Pope, could be made by the Tribunal on the couple's behalf, to annul their marriage. Not every application is successful.

Whatever the position with the Church, a Decree Nisi Absolute (a civil divorce) would need to be obtained to legally and lawfully annul the marriage in civil law and this will not affect or change the position of the Church.

Catholic AnswerUpon reading your question, it seems that you are using the term "blessed" to mean that the couple got married in front of a priest AFTER they had already been married in a civil ceremony. If the couple subsequently sought to have the marriage annulled, they would have to apply to the Tribunal. A Tribunal can only declare an invalid marriage null, they cannot annul a valid marriage. So the couple would have to prove that no valid marriage ever took place.