If confirmation is required before marriage, what does a civilly married person do?

[naname]

If the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation need to be completed prior to getting married in the Catholic church and a couple who is civilly married comes back to church trying to do the right thing, then how can they receive before getting married? Are they not seen as living in ‘sin’ and therefore cannot be in the ‘state of grace’ needed of them in order to recieve the sacramens needed before they can get married?
What is the proper way to rectify this catch-22 situation? Can you tell me also where to find this in Cannon Law? many thanks

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Let us first look at the canon that deals with confirmation and marriage:

Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before being admitted to marriage, if this can be done without grave inconvenience (canon 1065 §1).

Note it is not an absolute requirement that confirmation (and by extension the eucharist) be received prior to marriage. Obviously getting divorced, separating and then getting married in the Church would be a “grave inconvenience.”

A couple who has been civilly married should sit down with their parish priest and do what they need to in order to be married in the Church. After that they can prepare to receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.