Convalidation of a Civil Union

[Timidity]

Luke-Jr:

I don’t doubt papal authority. However, the universal Church does not teach that a priest confers or is required to confer the sacrament of matrimony.

Read the relavant canons.

 

[Luke-Jr]

Timidity:

Read the relavant canons.

I do not understand the original language of the canons. I have found various translations of things to be unclear about implications or non-useful for any situations out of the ordinary.
However, I do trust that the Church would not teach any two teachings that conflict with one another logically. For there to be requirements for a marriage other than the marital vows leads to the possibility of moral sex outside of marriage, which I’m sure everyone would agree is against the Church’s teaching.

 

[Kielbasi]

But for Catholics in the absence of a priest, no sacrament is conferred at all.

That’s not exactly true, as there are some exceptions to that general rule.

***Can. 1116 §1 If one who, in accordance with the law, is competent to assist, cannot be present or be approached without grave inconvenience, those who intend to enter a true marriage can validly and lawfully contract in the presence of witnesses only: ***

***1° in danger of death; ***

***2° apart from danger of death, provided it is prudently foreseen that this state of affairs will continue for a month. ***

***§2 In either case, if another priest or deacon is at hand who can be present, he must be called upon and, together with the witnesses, be present at the celebration of the marriage, without prejudice to the validity of the marriage in the presence of only the witnesses. ***

If a Catholic man were, say, going off to war(danger of death), and couldn’t line up a priest to assist, he could still definitely get married.

 

[Catholic2003]

Kielbasi:

That’s not exactly true, as there are some exceptions to that general rule.

That is true; there is the extraordinary canonical form for marriage, which will result in the valid, sacramental marriage of two Catholics.

However, I don’t think that it applies in the current instance.

 

[Catholic2003]

Luke-Jr:

I don’t doubt papal authority. However, the universal Church does not teach that a priest confers or is required to confer the sacrament of matrimony.

Here is what the Council of Trent said:

Those who shall attempt to contract marriage otherwise than in the presence of the parish priest, or of some other priest by permission of the said parish priest, or of the Ordinary, and in the presence of two or three witnesses; the holy Synod renders such wholly incapable of thus contracting and declares such contracts invalid and null, as by the present decree It invalidates and annuls them.

Here is the current version of this requirement, as contained in Latin Rite canon law:

Canon 1108 §1 Only those marriages are valid which are contracted in the presence of the local Ordinary or parish priest or of the priest or deacon delegated by either of them, who, in the presence of two witnesses, assists, in accordance however with the rules set out in the following canons, and without prejudice to the exceptions mentioned in cann. 144, 1112 §1, 1116 and 1127 §§2 - 3.

Canon 1112 §1 Where there are no priests and deacons, the diocesan Bishop can delegate lay persons to assist at marriages, if the Episcopal Conference has given its prior approval and the permission of the Holy See has been obtained.

Canon 1127 §1 The provisions of can. 1108 are to be observed in regard to the form to be used in a mixed marriage. If, however, the catholic party contracts marriage with a non-catholic party of oriental rite, the canonical form of celebration is to be observed for lawfulness only; for validity, however, the intervention of a sacred minister is required, while observing the other requirements of law.

§2 If there are grave difficulties in the way of observing the canonical form, the local Ordinary of the catholic party has the right to dispense from it in individual cases, having however consulted the Ordinary of the place of the celebration of the marriage; for validity, however, some public form of celebration is required. It is for the Episcopal Conference to establish norms whereby this dispensation may be granted in a uniform manner.

§3 It is forbidden to have, either before or after the canonical celebration in accordance with §1, another religious celebration of the same marriage for the purpose of giving or renewing matrimonial consent. Likewise, there is not to be a religious celebration in which the catholic assistant and a non-catholic minister, each performing his own rite, ask for the consent of the parties.