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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Marriage	Mike	Thursday, July 31, 2008
Question: Dear Brother, In what way does the Church acknowledge "marriages" outside the Catholic Church. That is "marriages" in a protestant community, Islamic, jewish (etc) and especially civil (secular) culture???? Is it recognised at all as a union or sacrament. Is everyone that i know who was "married" outside the Church not really married? example 1) A man and woman are "married" by civil union (outside religion, by the state). Does the Church recognise that they are married at all? example 2) Following on from example 1, say the man is a Catholic and the woman is not. Would it be prudent to encourage the man to divorce the woman and marry a Catholic in the Church? Regards Mike
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Mike: Marriage between two baptized persons, even if not Catholic, are sacramentally married. The key to sacramentality here is being validly baptized. Islamic and Jewish marriages are not Sacramental but we can recognize their validity within the respective religious traditions and we can recognize a couple in a legal state of marriage by the State. But, if a non-Christian couple converted to the Catholic Church, their marriage would not be considered valid "as is". They would, I believe, have to undergo a Catholic rite once baptized and confirmed in the Church. A Protestant marriage between two baptized persons is a valid sacramental marriage. If they converted they would have their marriage blessed in the Church but there is no reason for a rite of marriage since they are already sacramentally married. As for your examples: 1) The Church does not make judgments on non-Catholic marriages unless they are to convert to the Catholic Church, except to say that all marriages between two baptized persons is a valid sacramental marriage by virtue of their baptism. If neither of the spouses in the example are Catholic and neither are baptized and they wished to convert to the Church then their marriage would not be accepted. They would have to have the Catholic rite. If both of the spouses are baptized but married only in civil union and they decided to convert, I believe, but not certain, that the marriage would be accepted because they are baptized, but would have to be blessed in the Catholic Church. 2) No. absolutely not. A Catholic man married to a non-Catholic woman should be encouraged to have their marriage regularized in the Catholic Church. This will be a requirement for him to receive the Eucharist. The wife does not have to convert. I think I have all this correct. This involves some very technical canon law issues and I am not a Canon Lawyer. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Marriage

Mike

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Question:

Dear Brother,

In what way does the Church acknowledge "marriages" outside the Catholic Church. That is "marriages" in a protestant community, Islamic, jewish (etc) and especially civil (secular) culture???? Is it recognised at all as a union or sacrament.

Is everyone that i know who was "married" outside the Church not really married?

example 1)
A man and woman are "married" by civil union (outside religion, by the state). Does the Church recognise that they are married at all?

example 2)
Following on from example 1, say the man is a Catholic and the woman is not. Would it be prudent to encourage the man to divorce the woman and marry a Catholic in the Church?

Regards Mike

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Mike:

Marriage between two baptized persons, even if not Catholic, are sacramentally married. The key to sacramentality here is being validly baptized.

Islamic and Jewish marriages are not Sacramental but we can recognize their validity within the respective religious traditions and we can recognize a couple in a legal state of marriage by the State.

But, if a non-Christian couple converted to the Catholic Church, their marriage would not be considered valid "as is". They would, I believe, have to undergo a Catholic rite once baptized and confirmed in the Church.

A Protestant marriage between two baptized persons is a valid sacramental marriage. If they converted they would have their marriage blessed in the Church but there is no reason for a rite of marriage since they are already sacramentally married.

As for your examples:

1) The Church does not make judgments on non-Catholic marriages unless they are to convert to the Catholic Church, except to say that all marriages between two baptized persons is a valid sacramental marriage by virtue of their baptism.

If neither of the spouses in the example are Catholic and neither are baptized and they wished to convert to the Church then their marriage would not be accepted. They would have to have the Catholic rite.

If both of the spouses are baptized but married only in civil union and they decided to convert, I believe, but not certain, that the marriage would be accepted because they are baptized, but would have to be blessed in the Catholic Church.

2) No. absolutely not. A Catholic man married to a non-Catholic woman should be encouraged to have their marriage regularized in the Catholic Church. This will be a requirement for him to receive the Eucharist. The wife does not have to convert.

I think I have all this correct. This involves some very technical canon law issues and I am not a Canon Lawyer.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum