Can a woman officiate at a Catholic wedding?

[DiZent]

While visiting relatives this summer, my uncle mentioned attending a Catholic wedding and said that it was officiated by a female pastoral associate and not a priest. I read somewhere that it is the couple who confers the sacrament of marriage on each other, but I have never heard that anyone but a priest could officiate. Is this valid?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Yes. Catholic weddings can be witnessed by priests, deacons, or (only when no priest or deacon is available) designated laypersons. The Code of Canon Law states:

Where there are no priests and deacons, the diocesan bishop can delegate laypersons to assist at marriages, if the episcopal conference has given its prior approval and the permission of the Holy See has been obtained (canon 1112 §1).

While it is permitted to use designated laypersons presuming the conditions above are met, doing so (especially when the layperson is a woman) can be gravely scandalous to guests who do not understand the rules, as is proven by your question. That is why I would recommend that any couple that can afford to do so should look into the possibility of bringing in a priest or deacon from another locale before agreeing to have their marriage witnessed by a layperson. A priest or deacon not local to the area will need to obtain permission to officiate at the wedding, but obtaining that permission usually is a simple matter, especially when the alternative would be a layperson.