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And that stuff wasn’t resolved BEFORE the marriage?

No priest should have agreed to marry a couple without first covering those bases.

Stupid, but excuses for church sanctioned divorce abound.

What hypocrisy to condemn divorce and then sanction it under a different name.

Stupid, but excuses for church sanctioned divorce abound. What hypocrisy to condemn divorce and then sanction it under a different name.

The church recognizes divorce....doesn't sanction it, but recognizes it....what the church does not allow, sanction, nor approve of is remarriage....constitutes living in a state of adultry.

**And that stuff wasn’t resolved BEFORE the marriage?**

Mental health issues. While they can be controlled by medication and not be evident, they remain present, and some, such as bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, have a genetic component. Under the federal HIPAA laws, the intended's family may not disclose what they know; if the person does not choose to state it, it won't be disclosed.
Bigamy. It's a fact. Many people came from the old country to the US with stated intention of sending for spouses and sometimes children, and did not honor that commitment. They settled here, started a new family, and left a family behind. Sometimes, people's pasts eventually caught up with them. I wonder how many immigrants unaccounted for, who are now crossing our borders may be doing the same.
Latent Homosexuality. An example outside of the Church. Comedian Fran Drescher was married to her husband for 18 years before he admitted he was gay. Bruce Jenner's first wife came home and found him wearing her underwear...
Possible blood relation. In this day and age, with all the one-nighters, cohabitation, households with children who share only one common parent, the possibility is increasing, sad, but true.

Engagements and wedding banns used to be posted in newspapers, church bulletins, and within and outside the church. There was a waiting period so anyone who objected could speak up. They even built that part into the ceremony.

Conclusion: Yes, Virginia, there are impediments to marriage that may not be evident at the time. Priests can't read minds, or we wouldn't need auricular Confession. But that's another thread! God bless you!