Can a non-Catholic sign my Marriage License?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DawnetteO
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DawnetteO

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For my wedding in June, I have selected a protestant friend as my matron of honor, a Catholic friend as a maid of honor, and my Catholic sister as a bridesmaid.

Am I allowed to have my protestant friend sign the marriage license?
 
Surely a marriage license is a civil document, not a religious one? I can’t imagine that the religion of the signers matters to or affects the Church aspect of the wedding.
 
Apparently it does the priest at my wedding wouldn’t let my best man sign the license until he could prove he was baptized.
 
Good to know! My matron of honor is baptized - I know for a fact. I’ll be sure to ask our parish priest ahead of time. 🙂
 
Dhc8_Type said:
Apparently it does the priest at my wedding wouldn’t let my best man sign the license until he could prove he was baptized.
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The religion of the witnesses was never asked when I got married. Neither the bridesmaid nor the best man was Catholic.

The documents in my province asks the religion of the bride and groom but not of the witnesses. AFAIK, Father doesn’t ask more than the witnesses names.
 
Dhc8_Type said:
Apparently it does the priest at my wedding wouldn’t let my best man sign the license until he could prove he was baptized.
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There is absolutely no requirement in canon law that a witness to a marriage be a baptized person, Christian, or a Catholic.

And as far as the marriage license is concerned, it is a purely civil document and therefore anyone can witness the marriage.

If a priest required such a thing, he was in error.
 
Dawn there is nothing in canon law requiring witnesses be baptized or Catholics. Non Catholic witnesses are fine, and they need not be baptized.

And the civil authority has no such requirement either.
 
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