"You only have the fornicator's word that his marriage was refused because the priest thought they didn't love each other."
Thats something that could be easily determined with a phone call.
"The social need to legitimate a pregnancy can be considered the psychological equivalent of a "shotgun wedding." The duress involved could possibly be grounds for nullifying any marriage. I'm no canon lawyer, but it looks like he and his girlfriend could very well be impeded from contracting a valid marriage."
Thats a legitimate point which I did not weigh. This concern needs to be taken seriously. But it also needs to be remembered that people married for these reasons for centuries. Also arranged marriages were common in western culture until a little over a century ago. So I am still not convinced that this is a canonical impediment.
Also arranged marriages were common in western culture until a little over a century ago. So I am still not convinced that this is a canonical impediment. The Catholic Church has allowed for arranged marriages only in the cases where both the husband and wife agreed to it, outside of the pressure.
There is nothing wrong with arranged marriages, so long as both parties agree. One of my professors from college had his marriage arranged and it is a very happy marriage.
There is a huge difference in a relationship that began in lust and ends in a shotgun wedding (Oh no, I knocked up my girlfriend, I guess I have to marry her now...).