Can a raised non-baptized Catholic receive the Sacrament of Matrimony?

[Tetiaroa]

I have a question that bothers me to this day. There is this cousin of mine who is a baptized Catholic. He got married through a common law marriage (traditional community marriage) to a girl who is raised as a Catholic but never been baptized. Now when they approached their parish Deacon for her to be baptized. The Deacon responded that she cannot be baptized since they are already living together and got married outside the Church. They should get married right away in the Church and receive the Sacrament of Matrimony before she can be baptized. Is this possible?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Catholics are required to be married in the Church or receive a dispensation to be married elsewhere. Since your cousin is a baptized Catholic he fell under that requirement. Therefore the marriage is considered invalid.

Persons in an irregular (i.e. invalid) marriage need to validate their marriage before being baptized or received into the Church.

When your cousin and his civil wife validate their marriage in the Church it will be a natural marriage not a sacramental marriage because she is unbaptized. However, once she becomes baptized the marriage will automatically become sacramental.