Catholic marriage without civil consequences

[AdamFromSpace]

Yahoo Hello,
I am planning to get married in a few months. Got everything pretty much set. Today I got a letter from immigration lawyer that our marriage needs to wait for another 7 months. So, we can’t get legally married until 7 months from now due to legal/immigration reasons.

This came as a last minute surprise. All the guests are already invited, church and venues booked, band and DJ and flowers all already setup. So, my question is, could we just have a marriage that would have no legal consequences? Ie. We would have a full mass, and a regular wedding in the church performed by the priest and so we would be married in the Catholic Church. However, nothing would happen in terms of civil marriage. Then 7 months from now we would just go to city hall and get a marriage certificate from the county clerk and get civil marriage at the city hall.

We already did pre-cana and got everything arranged with our priest. It’s just that we can’t be married as it would cause problems with immigration (we are waiting for a fiancée visa, which was supposed to come by now, but got delayed due to some problems). So we just want a “sacramental” marriage that would be only recognized by God / church. We do not want this marriage to be recognized by the state.

Is that possible? This would be done in New York State

 

[Irishmom2]

OP, what did your priest say when you asked him?
He is the person that would know the laws and everything for your state in particular.

My guess is that it cannot be done.

 

[Sunbreak]

From the Archdiocese of New York website:

“15. Do we need to get a marriage license?
Yes. You have to present a valid marriage license to the priest or
deacon who is presiding at your wedding, before the marriage ceremony
may be performed.”

 

[Gorgias]

I am planning to get married in a few months. Got everything pretty much set. Today I got a letter from immigration lawyer that our marriage needs to wait for another 7 months. So, we can’t get legally married until 7 months from now due to legal/immigration reasons.

Definitely talk to your priest about this development, right away!

In the U.S., though, priests cannot perform a marriage that is not a legal marriage.

 

[FiveLinden]

There is a general prohibition on marriages in the Church that are not also legally binding. But I would have thought a dispensation could be given to have a religious-only marriage followed by a civil ceremony. I think this is the norm in France (someone may correct me). As others have said - ask a priest! Or a canon lawyer. Another option would be to have a ceremony, not claim it as a legal wedding, and do so without following standard Church rites. Then to both bits again in 7 months. Incidentally how can there be a law or policy preventing you from marrying because of your immigration status? What is the law or policy?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Today I got a letter from immigration lawyer that our marriage needs to wait for another 7 months.

You need to consult another lawyer. This is not credible. Undocumented immigrants get married all the time.

 

[Gorgias]

You need to consult another lawyer. This is not credible. Undocumented immigrants get married all the time.

Sure they do. But then, if they wish to get their “green card”, they have to go home first and apply at their home country’s U.S. embassy.

The OP is attempting to obtain a visa that allows for marriage, so that his fiancee will not have to leave the country (or be subjected to an investigation into whether she committed visa fraud by entering the country with the intent to marry in order to get a green card).

 

[DarkLight]

You need to consult another lawyer. This is not credible. Undocumented immigrants get married all the time.

It can cause a lot of problems with legal status and can lead to deportation or denial of a fiance visa.

@AdamFromSpace, Catholic consequences aside, talk to your lawyer before doing this! Going through any sort of marriage ceremony while trying to obtain a fiance visa can cause immigration issues if USICS finds out.

 

[HeDa]

In France the civil ceremony (legally binding) is first and then the religious ceremony (not legally binding to the civil society but within the religious community) if people choose to have one. The other way around is not accepted.

Priests and other religious representatives do not have any civil rights to make a marriage legal in the civil society that is why the civil ceremony is first.