I'm confused. Is my marriage valid and sacramental?

[vocatio]

To clarify my previous response. I’ve learned something today that may reveal that I was wrong about something. Be at ease that you marriage is valid now assuming you’ve taken all the correct steps as instructed by your parish pastor. Defecting was once defined very losely. My wife has uncovered new information in the Code of Canon Law that clarifies the definition of publicly defecting being writing a letter. I don’t know absulutely for sure, but it does appear to be the case. Sorry if I mislead you. It was not wise to be so confident, but I was sure I was correct because of where I got the info. Be carefule seeking information from people like us. Contact you Diocese expert. I did and learned something new.

 

[Seatuck]

Puzzleannie,
Are you sure that in the US a couple must apply for a new marriage license from the state? My husband and I had our marriage convalidated several years ago. Our priest completed all of the paperwork and such, but we did not have to apply for a new marriage license from the state. That doesn’t sound quite right to me, the state already viewed our marriage as legal, which is all the state is concerned with.

I don’t think it is accurate that the couple has to apply to the state more than once. Civil marriage is legal until a civil divorce.There is paperwork for the church only as far as I know.

 

[puzzleannie]

After reading a couple of topics in Ask An Apologist, I’m now slightly confused.

What I am wondering is, if our marriage is now valid and sacramental?

your husband was Catholic at the time of the marriage so he, not you, was bound by Church law on matter and form of marriage, and since he chose not to marry in the Catholic Church, the marriage was invalid. As soon as the marriage was convalidated (not blessed) by the Catholic Church, it became both valid and sacramental, since you were both baptized. The fact that you later became Catholic is an enormous blessing and the graces from your sacramental marriage no doubt played a part, but the status of your marriage did not change at that time, because it was already valid.

 

[puzzleannie]

A marriage can be valid in the eyes of the Church but non-sacramental. I’m not sure about your situation… by receiving the Church’s blessing do you mean your marriage was convalidated?

please read further, as other posters have cleared up your confusion as well.

 

[puzzleannie]

Thank you. I’ll try and do that. We lived in England at the time but now do not. Would the information have been recorded exactly as for a ‘normal’ marriage ceremony? We did sign a register.

I do not know civil law in England but in the States you would have applied for a new marriage license because in Church eyes the convalidation was the first instance of marriage. You would also receive a certificate or document certifying the marriage, and the fact of the marriage would have been entered on the records of your husband’s baptismal parish, since he was required to supply his baptismal certificate at that time. Furthermore, when you were received into full communion with the Catholic Church, not only the fact of your Anglican baptism, and of course your confirmation and first communion and profession of faith, but also the fact of your marriage were all entered in the records of the parish that received you. If you no longer have those documents, and need proof at any time, you would apply to that parish.

sorry did not realize I was responding again to an old thread, I thought this discussion sounded familiar.

 

[puzzleannie]

I don’t think it is accurate that the couple has to apply to the state more than once. Civil marriage is legal until a civil divorce.There is paperwork for the church only as far as I know.

the only state in which I have dealt with these matters is Texas and yes here at least a new marriage license is obtained, and the fact of the convalidation is reported to the state. since I am not the expert, nor is anyone here, the obvious recourse for any couple with a question is to apply to their own pastor, who knows their own situation and knows all the laws in their area. General questions on a global forum like this are almost always going to have answers that are lacking or do not apply to some people, so while interesting for discussion, any thing said about an individual marriage situation is conjecture at best, and not useful for that individual’s guidance.

 

[stbruno]

have no idea what the civil law requirements are in England. In the US a couple convalidating must apply for a new marriage license from the state as well, and the priest or deacon completes the paperwork.

No new marriage license from the county,which regulates marriage needs to be issued in the case of a convalidation, rather a copy of the civil or other Christian church’s marriage certificate needs to be in their file before a Catholic validation may be done, along with other documents, like baptismal and confirmation certificates and witness affadavits and questionnaires completed. familyministries.org/www.inthespiritofcana.org/2.6.9.htm

 

[vocatio]

Let’s take it form the convalidation point. If you had a mini-wedding in the Catholic Church recently with a priest (not a play priest ), then you are validly married and it is sacramental.

The criteria for a marriage to be valid is one with all the proper “paper work” called dispensations. But you had a priest “bless” the marriage. That made it valid. The only reason it wasn’t valid is because one of the parties was Catholic and did not “defect” officially as defined by the Code of Canon Law (confusing). But that part is not a problem.

In order for the marriage to be sacramental both parties must be Baptized Christians in the correct form, i.e. baptized with water with the trinitarian formula (Father, Son & Holy Spirit). It sounds like you both meet that criteria. So if the Church did not recognize your marriage until the convalidation they do now and therefore since both of you are baptized Christians your marriage is valid and sacramental. That’s the truth. If one of you were not baptized correctly or were not Christian the marriage would just be valid. But if you already know then that’s it.

Congratulations.