Can a priest officiate his own parents' wedding?

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This is purely hypothetical, but let’s say the priest was conceived by and born to an unmarried couple. Later on, many years later, they want to get married and their son is now a priest. Could he officiate the sacrament of marriage for them or would it be inappropriate because of his connection to them?
 
JS_Cortez said:
Could he officiate the sacrament of marriage for them or would it be inappropriate because of his connection to them?
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Canon law does not have any restrictions on priests or deacons witnessing the marriage of relatives, including parents.
 
He most certainly could. About the only sacrament that would be inappropriate for a priest to perform for a family member would be confession. But even then, that’s not illicit, just inadvisable. My mother said she’d never want to go to confession with me. I don’t blame her.

-Fr ACEGC
 
Funny hypothesis.

It is a recent history that priests can be a man born out of wedlock.

Maybe the parents are converts and have now a catholic wedding…

To answers your question, it can be possible, if the parents belong to the parish of their son. Otherwise, in some situations it is possible to have a dispensation and have the marriage witness by a priest outisde the own parish of the couple, or one of them.
 
I’m smiling at the thought of him (the priest) leading his parents through marriage prep.
 
I’ve heard this too, believe it was mentioned in the homily of my brothers wedding two weeks ago by the priest who is a family friend of theirs
 
As a notary, I’m allowed to preform civil marriages and this is the only time I can notarize a document for an immediate family member.
 
After my mom died, dad got remarried. My brother who was a priest (now also passed away) officiated.

It was a beautiful ceremony.
 
Anicette said:
To answers your question, it can be possible, if the parents belong to the parish of their son. Otherwise, in some situations it is possible to have a dispensation and have the marriage witness by a priest outisde the own parish of the couple, or one of them.
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No, a dispensation is not needed for this scenario.
 
I didn’t even go to confession to my parish priest so yeah. Toots see that.
 
I don’t go to confession with my own parish priest either. I would literally have to be dying to go to confession to a family member.
 
We had a seminarian who, upon being ordained a deacon, convalidated his parent’s marriage.
 
JS_Cortez said:
I don’t go to confession with my own parish priest either.
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It’s been a while since I’ve gone to confession at my own parish. I think last time I did that was last December. I usually go to another parish, which has the most wheelchair accessible confessional in town. (At least it did before my own parish’s renovations … I haven’t been in our new confessional.) I also like the priest at the other parish as a confessor. Though when I went this month, I got a surprise, as they had a visiting priest from Africa hearing confessions.
 
“MrZoom said:
JS_Cortez said:
I don’t go to confession with my own parish priest either.
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I also go to an entirely different parish. The parish I go to for Confession has the traditional confessional booths and the priests sit in them, waiting to hear Confession. All the churches closer to me, the priest waits out in the open for someone to approach him or are doing tasks to get ready for Mass during the listed Confession times so you have to actually approach them, say you’re there for Confession, and then they bring you to the room or booth. I want to be behind a screen and I want to just walk into the booth.
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1ke said:
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Anicette:
To answers your question, it can be possible, if the parents belong to the parish of their son. Otherwise, in some situations it is possible to have a dispensation and have the marriage witness by a priest outisde the own parish of the couple, or one of them.
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No, a dispensation is not needed for this scenario.
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I’m not sure if they meant that their son, the priest, would have to receive delegation to validly witness the marriage outside of his parish. That is correct according to Canon 1108§1. Technically any priest (or deacon) requires delegation if they are not the pastor operating within their parish.

One the other hand if you mean that there is no dispensation or special delegation required for him to witness the marriage even if neither belong to the parish, that is correct. I think that is covered under canon 1109, but I don’t have all my notes from canon law class handy.
 
Anicette said:
To answers your question, it can be possible, if the parents belong to the parish of their son. Otherwise, in some situations it is possible to have a dispensation and have the marriage witness by a priest outisde the own parish of the couple, or one of them.
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It would not require a dispensation but delegation.

The priest (or bishop or deacon) does not marry the couple. They administer the sacrament to each other. The cleric is there as the Church’s official witness. There must be two other witnesses, too. To witness a marriage a cleric needs jurisdiction from the Church. Not any priest can witness any marriage.

Canon law presumes (may not be the best verb, I know) that a couple marries in their parish where they have domicile. If they have separate parishes they can marry in either. Those who can witness their marriage for the Church are the parochus (parish priest/pastor) of either or the bishop of the diocese. There are a few others, but without getting out my canon law commentary I don’t remember who. Those who don’t have the jurisdiction can be delegated by those who do have it.
 
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