Full Initiation and Marriage Blessing

[codefro]

My wife and I were both Protestant and are going to be coming into the Church this Saturday. I am so excited btw!!! Anyways, someone mentioned to us we should get our marriage blessed, so we went to talk to the priest and he said that we should have had that done already before this Saturday. So now because it’s already Holy Week we are going to need to do it fairly quickly after being fully initiated this Saturday. I’m wondering though, if my wife and I are Coming in, and we are in a state of being Catholics without our marriage being blessed, is that a problem? Question being, are we already in a state of mortal sin from that point until the priest finally blesses the marriage? I think I’m freaking myself out, but it popped into my head now I’m curious. Like will we already need to not receive the Eucharist until then?

 

[SonCatcher]

Welcome home!

If you and your wife are both baptized already then your marriage is already “blessed” (that is, already a sacramental marriage).

If one or both of you will be baptized at Easter Vigil, your marriage is automatically “blessed” with the baptism(s). (the grace of the sacrament of matrimony is automatically bestowed when both spouses are baptized)

There is no need for an additional blessing on your marriage. Enjoy your marriage without fear.

 

[Elizium23]

The need for convalidation comes when one or both parties was a baptized Catholic, and married without permission, or one or both parties were previously validly married, and remarried without benefit of a declaration of nullity. If you and your wife were previously non-Catholic and this is your first marriage, it is already valid and there is no need for convalidation.

However, if you are in one of the situations I outlined, you may need to obtain declarations of nullity for previous marriages, and a convalidation for your marriage before you can live as husband and wife. In order to preserve your state of grace until this happens, you would need to live as brother and sister without having marital relations until convalidation is possible. In this case you would be properly disposed to receive the Eucharist after a sacramental confession.

Best of luck and God bless you!

 

[Phemie]

If neither one of you has been married before your marriage is presumed to be valid and there is nothing that you need to do.

As SonCatcher said, if you’re both baptized, your marriage is sacramental.

If both of you are unbaptized or one of you is unbaptized then you are in a natural marriage and it will become sacramental as soon as you are baptized on Saturday.

All that said, if you opt to renew your vows after you are received into the Church, it’s something you can arrange with the priest. It would simply be ceremonial and have no impact on the validity of your marriage. Many couples renew their vows to mark a special anniversary, you could do it to mark the beginning of your life as Catholics.

Welcome home.

 

[1ke]

My wife and I were both Protestant and are going to be coming into the Church this Saturday. I am so excited btw!!! Anyways, someone mentioned to us we should get our marriage blessed

I don’t know who this someone was, but they have no idea what they are talking about and have sent you down a bunny trail.

Two protestants marry validly when they marry civilly. You are already validly married.

Convalidation (what some people call “getting the marriage blessed”) makes an invalid marriage valid. It does not apply to you.

What you can ask for, at any time after you become Catholics, is the Nuptial Blessing. This is simply a blessing of the Church for the couple. It is available to any couple who has not yet received it.

so we went to talk to the priest and he said that we should have had that done already before this Saturday.

That would certainly be the case if you were in an invalid marriage in need of validation. Indeed, the RCIA interview should and would have uncovered any marriage issues a LONG time ago.

Perhaps your priest misunderstood, or didn’t fully question why you were approaching him for convalidation.

So now because it’s already Holy Week we are going to need to do it fairly quickly after being fully initiated this Saturday. I’m wondering though, if my wife and I are Coming in, and we are in a state of being Catholics without our marriage being blessed, is that a problem?

This is just a big misunderstanding. There is nothing to convalidate. You are validly married. You become Catholic. That is it.

Question being, are we already in a state of mortal sin from that point until the priest finally blesses the marriage? I think I’m freaking myself out, but it popped into my head now I’m curious. Like will we already need to not receive the Eucharist until then?

No.

Please just put this out of your mind, make sure your priest knows you were mistaken and have no need for a convalidation, and after Easter talk to him about the Nuptial Blessing if you so choose.