Civil Weddings Question

[spectre88]

I know a few people who will be getting married soon. Many of them are having civil weddings prior to their church wedding. The problem is that they will be moving in with one another after their civil weddings but before their sacramental church weddings. I challenged one of the them the other day and they said it is okay to co-habitate after the civil wedding as long as they do not being their sexual relationship until after their sacramental wedding. They say they are only doing this for financial reasons. Are they right? It seems wrong to me still because of the temptation that comes with co-habitating. Any thoughts on this?

 

[In_Vino_Veritas]

The concern is scandal. Their living together prior to a recognized marriage might give the wrong impression to those who do not know their character well enough to know that they would never be tempted to carnal thoughts with one another without the benefit of marriage.

 

[1ke]

I know a few people who will be getting married soon. Many of them are having civil weddings prior to their church wedding.

If they marry civilly they cannot have a “church wedding”. They would have to go through the process to have their invalid civil marriage convalidated.

The problem is that they will be moving in with one another after their civil weddings but before their sacramental church weddings. I challenged one of the them the other day and they said it is okay to co-habitate after the civil wedding as long as they do not being their sexual relationship until after their sacramental wedding.

Well, convalidation will take about six months. They cannot have sexual relations. They are giving scandal by marrying invalidly in a civil ceremony and then cohabiting.

They would be in a state of mortal sin for violating the Church’s marriage laws.

They say they are only doing this for financial reasons. Are they right? It seems wrong to me still because of the temptation that comes with co-habitating. Any thoughts on this?

No, they are not right. And, they need to be straightened out by their priest.

 

[spectre88]

Thats what I thought. Thank you!