Can a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Christian be a sacramental marriage?

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. I am just curious because I am seriously in love with a man who is a non-Christian. He believes in the Christian God but he is not baptized. Can a marriage between him and I be a sacramental marriage?

 

[Phemie]

You can have a valid marriage but not a sacramental one.

For marriage to be sacramental both must be baptized. That’s because a non-baptized person cannot receive a sacrament. Since marriage involves 2 people you can’t confer a sacrament on just one of the two.

 

[armywife]

The previous poster said it all. I was in the same boat for eight years until my husband converted at Easter this year. Our marriage was always valid (proper dispensation) but not sacramental until he was baptized. Now it’s automatically a sacrament. Although, just to appease my human self I wish there was something, a ceremony or whatever, that’s more visual instead of just knowing our marriage is now a sacrament.

 

[stuartsfeather]

There is something you can do you can have your marrriage convalidated by having a priest perform the marriage sacrament for you and your husband. My wife and I are doing that this June 20th. My wife is not Catholic but she has been baptized in a Baptist church and now she is willing to renew our vows with me in my Roman Catholic church so that our marriage will be sacrementally blessed. Ask your husband and then have a talk with your Priest I know he will be happy to perform that sacrement. Praise God

Sebastian

 

[Catholic1954]

The previous poster said it all. I was in the same boat for eight years until my husband converted at Easter this year. Our marriage was always valid (proper dispensation) but not sacramental until he was baptized. Now it’s automatically a sacrament. Although, just to appease my human self I wish there was something, a ceremony or whatever, that’s more visual instead of just knowing our marriage is now a sacrament.

Try renewing your wedding vows at your 10th aniversary. We did and it was GREAT!

 

[stuartsfeather]

Try renewing your wedding vows at your 10th aniversary. We did and it was GREAT!

Actually this will be our 26th year.

Sebastion

 

[Holly3278]

Actually this will be our 26th year.

Sebastion

Congratulations Sabastion!

 

[Phemie]

There is something you can do you can have your marrriage convalidated by having a priest perform the marriage sacrament for you and your husband. My wife and I are doing that this June 20th. My wife is not Catholic but she has been baptized in a Baptist church and now she is willing to renew our vows with me in my Roman Catholic church so that our marriage will be sacrementally blessed. Ask your husband and then have a talk with your Priest I know he will be happy to perform that sacrement. Praise God

Sebastian

No that’s not an option. Convalidation is something you do to make an invalid marriage valid. She is already in a valid, sacramental marriage.

Renewal of vows would be an option but it’s not the same thing as convalidation. In a convalidation you are not ‘renewing’ vows, you are making them for the first time as far as the Church is concerned and your valid marriage starts at that moment.

 

[Coder]

A sacrament is a visible sign of God’s love. Could the love that a Catholic and non-Christian spose share still be a sign of God’s love although not a sacrament by our Catholic definition? Perhaps this could be true particularly if the non-Christian is learning about and becoming interested in Jesus from the love and charactar of the Catholic spouse.

 

[stuartsfeather]

No that’s not an option. Convalidation is something you do to make an invalid marriage valid. She is already in a valid, sacramental marriage.

Renewal of vows would be an option but it’s not the same thing as convalidation. In a convalidation you are not ‘renewing’ vows, you are making them for the first time as far as the Church is concerned and your valid marriage starts at that moment.

Note I was responding to ARMYWIFE and her marriage is valid and sacramental since both are baptized.
Well on the church form filled out by my wife and I last week with the help of our priest and a deacon.the convalidation block was selected as per instruction from both priest and deacon. My wife and I have been married for 26 years but the ceremony was in a protestant church and at the time my wife was not a baptized person and neither of us were living Christian lives regarless of the churches. Now my wife is baptized and has been since 1992 and we both attempt to live according to our faiths, mine being Roman Catholic and hers being Christian but not Catholic. You can call it renewing vows or whatever but I call it being finally married correctly before God Almighty and with the blessing of the Church (Catholic) sacramentally thereby convalidating our marriage even from the beginning through the authority that God has over time. That is he is not bound by time and can bless backwards as well as forwards. Anyway I am happy and I believe my daughter in heaven will be smilling down on her parents on June 20. She was eighteen and muderdered 3/31/07.

God Bless All

Sebastion

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Hi everyone. I am just curious because I am seriously in love with a man who is a non-Christian. He believes in the Christian God but he is not baptized. Can a marriage between him and I be a sacramental marriage?

Holly,

I think you probably know this, but just in case, I want to point out that whatever answers are given to you regarding your above question, it doesn’t mean that anyone is advising you to get married.

I’m sure all your friends here would want you to consider all the important factors, such as

1. how long you have known the gentlemen ,
2. how much time you have spent together (and not just on the phone or internet),
3. how much you have in common with each other; etc,

you know, all those good preliminary things!

VC

 

[kage_ar]

Those of us who have watched your constant struggle with the faith, your battle to accept and stay a Catholic, as one of them I advise you to keep yourself from any romantic entanglements until you are solid and secure with yourself and your faith.

Find a good spiritual director and stick with it.

“Missionary dating” is something that is painful for the most solid of a Catholic.

 

[Phemie]

Note I was responding to ARMYWIFE and her marriage is valid and sacramental since both are baptized.

Correct, and that’s why ‘convalidation’ is not an option. Convalidation is only done if your marriage isn’t valid.

Well on the church form filled out by my wife and I last week with the help of our priest and a deacon.the convalidation block was selected as per instruction from both priest and deacon. My wife and I have been married for 26 years but the ceremony was in a protestant church and at the time my wife was not a baptized person and neither of us were living Christian lives regarless of the churches. Now my wife is baptized and has been since 1992 and we both attempt to live according to our faiths, mine being Roman Catholic and hers being Christian but not Catholic. **You can call it renewing vows or whatever but I call it being finally married correctly before God Almighty and with the blessing of the Church (Catholic) sacramentally thereby convalidating our marriage even from the beginning through the authority that God has over time. **

And that’s exactly what it is. It’s not ‘renewing your vows’. A convalidation is 'getting married in the Church." As far as the Church is concerned your marriage begins at that moment.

That is he is not bound by time and can bless backwards as well as forwards. Anyway I am happy and I believe my daughter in heaven will be smilling down on her parents on June 20. She was eighteen and muderdered 3/31/07.

I’m very sorry to read that. I pray that God is helping you cope with such a horrible thing. No parent should have to endure that.

God Bless All

Sebastion

 

[deescim]

Phemie:
It is important to remember the difference between sacramental marriage and valid marriage…and that is valid in the Catholic Church. A Catholic that is not married in the “Catholic Form” that is: by a Catholic priest (or deacon), in a Catholic Church, with two witnesses is not in a valid marriage. Even if both are baptized. This is for a ****Catholic marrying a non Catholic. For a Catholic to marry a non-Catholic in the Catholic Church your priest or marriage preparation coordinator will submit the proper dispensations to the marriage tribunal along with your marriage file at the time of preparation. A Catholic that is not in a valid marriage (ie civil union or marriage in another faith denomination) even if married to another baptized person is not living a life in harmony with the Church and by Catholic teaching should refrain from recieiving Eucharist. That is because as a baptized Catholic if you do not marry in the Catholic Church the Church does not recognize your marriage. If a Catholic is married in any marriage ceremony other than Catholic they may seek Convalidation in the Catholic Church.

dee****

 

[mlwooten]

Is there a spot to read exactly what is said in the convaliation ceremony? I’d like to show my DH what he is in for.

 

[BornAgain11]

Hi everyone. I am just curious because I am seriously in love with a man who is a non-Christian. He believes in the Christian God but he is not baptized. Can a marriage between him and I be a sacramental marriage?

Hi Holly!
Well I can answer this one! I went through something similar! My husband (at the time) being catholic and I being a non-denom had to jump through a lot of hoops to get married in a church other than a Catholic one. He would yes have to be baptized as long as the Pastor baptizes in “the Father Son and Holy Spirit” it is consisdered okay by the Catholic Church and have a document and a signed paper. So-- no marriage can take place in a Catholic church unless he is baptized is what more than one priest told me.

 

[agapewolf]

Hi Holly!
. So-- no marriage can take place in a Catholic church unless he is baptized is what more than one priest told me.

This is incorrect.

A Catholic may get permission to marry a non-Catholic Christian, or a Non-baptized person. Ideally either one would take place in the Catholic church. A catholic marrying a non-baptized person would not be a sacrament, however they still should be married in the Catholic church.

 

[BornAgain11]

This is incorrect.

A Catholic may get permission to marry a non-Catholic Christian, or a Non-baptized person. Ideally either one would take place in the Catholic church. A catholic marrying a non-baptized person would not be a sacrament, however they still should be married in the Catholic church.

Nope, 3 priests told me if I was not baptized my husband could not get a dispensation through the Catholic Church. Unless of course all 3 priests were wrong?! Also said if not baptized (in general) no marriage could take place in the catholic church—again told by all 3 priests. I have names in numbers if you want to call!

 

[Phemie]

Hi Holly!
Well I can answer this one! I went through something similar! My husband (at the time) being catholic and I being a non-denom had to jump through a lot of hoops to get married in a church other than a Catholic one. He would yes have to be baptized as long as the Pastor baptizes in “the Father Son and Holy Spirit” it is consisdered okay by the Catholic Church and have a document and a signed paper. So-- no marriage can take place in a Catholic church unless he is baptized is what more than one priest told me.

That’s not correct.

A Catholic can marry a non-baptized person in the Catholic Church if the Bishop grants a dispensation for “disparity of cult”. IOW, the Bishop gives his permission for the Catholic to marry someone who has different form of worship. The Church doesn’t force someone to be baptized unless they want to be. The Bishop might also grant a dispensation for ‘lack of canonical form’ giving the Catholic permission to marry in the non-baptized person’s Church. Both those dispensations would be requested by the priest who is preparing the couple and he would say what his reason(s) is for asking for the dispensation to be granted.

 

[Phemie]

Nope, 3 priests told me if I was not baptized my husband could not get a dispensation through the Catholic Church. Unless of course all 3 priests were wrong?! Also said if not baptized (in general) no marriage could take place in the catholic church—again told by all 3 priests. I have names in numbers if you want to call!

Then they were functioning with their own agenda because the Church allows such marriages to occur. Such marriages are not rare since many of our parishioners marry members Salvation Army or Pentecostal Churches.