D
David_B
Guest
I was wondering if there were any resources that discuss marriages witnessed by deacons. Are these ceremonies often done in conjunction with a communion service?
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J
Joseph_Bilodeau
Guest
Our wedding was at a Mass with my wife’s father, a Deacon, officially witnessing the wedding and another family friend, a Priest, celebrating the Mass. A Deacon at my current parish has also officiated at the wedding of one of his children with our Pastor celebrating the wedding Mass.
I have never heard of a Catholic Marriage officially witnessed by a Deacon that did not also have a Priest celebrating the Mass, but I suppose it may be possible, as sometimes funerals are done that way, with a Communion Service instead. One possible reason for this may be that weddings are usually scheduled far in advance so that a Priest can get it on his calendar, but deaths often happen with little or no advance notice, and it may be possible that a Priest may not be available for a funeral Mass at that particular time but a Deacon is.
I have never heard of a Catholic Marriage officially witnessed by a Deacon that did not also have a Priest celebrating the Mass, but I suppose it may be possible, as sometimes funerals are done that way, with a Communion Service instead. One possible reason for this may be that weddings are usually scheduled far in advance so that a Priest can get it on his calendar, but deaths often happen with little or no advance notice, and it may be possible that a Priest may not be available for a funeral Mass at that particular time but a Deacon is.
D
Deacon_Ed
Guest
David,
In general, when a deacon witnesses a marriage there should be no communion service. There are no “hard-and-fast” rules that state this, but the general liturgical and sacramental praxis brings us to this understanding.
Deacon Ed
In general, when a deacon witnesses a marriage there should be no communion service. There are no “hard-and-fast” rules that state this, but the general liturgical and sacramental praxis brings us to this understanding.
Deacon Ed
B
Brendan
Guest
In our parish, one of our deacons will usually witness Marriages where the couple does not desire a Nuptual Mass ( usually cases where one party is not Catholic)
Our Pastor will witness Marriages where there is a Nuptual Mass. As Joseph pointed out, these are scheduled well in advance so our Pastor is available.
One of the deacon will also witness convalidations when necessary. These are usually not scheduled very far in advance and tend not to be as ‘formal’ as a wedding.
Our Pastor will witness Marriages where there is a Nuptual Mass. As Joseph pointed out, these are scheduled well in advance so our Pastor is available.
One of the deacon will also witness convalidations when necessary. These are usually not scheduled very far in advance and tend not to be as ‘formal’ as a wedding.
T
TJD
Guest
What is a convalidation?
Christ’s Peace,
TJD
Christ’s Peace,
TJD
P
pgoings
Guest
I don’t doubt you, but how is this so? What principles are being considered?
P
puzzleannie
Guest
when two Catholics have been married in a civil ceremony and wish to have their marriage blessed by the Church so that it becomes sacramental, the marriage is said to be convalidated. There must be no impediments or problems (previous marriage & divorce etc.) and they undergo a period of preparation, similar to engaged couples but suited to their situation, which usually means several years together and with children. These should be very low key ceremonies, and generally do not involve a nuptial Mass, but just attended one last week with a Mass and all the traditional Hispanic wedding customs. In our parish a good percentage of all weddings are convalidations, witnessed by one of the deacons (who are in charge of marriage preparation). We have very few nuptial Masses, because of so many mixed marriages etc.
C
cameron_lansing
Guest
TJD asks, “What is a convalidation?”
**Convalidation is a remedy in Church law by which a previously invalid marriage becomes valid. There are two kinds of convalidation: simple convalidation and radical sanation. **
Omitting the less frequent variations, and skirting some of the technical issues.
Simple convalidation
Most often simple convalidation involves the case in which at least one party was a Latin Catholic, obliged to the “canonical form of marriage,” and yet “married outside the Church” without any dispensation to do so.
(Commonly but incorrectly is it called “blessing a marriage.” Blessing a marriage is what an Eastern Catholic priest does in an Eastern Catholic wedding, and it is required for validity. It is the “canonical form” for Eastern Catholic Churches. The form for the Latin Catholic Church follows.)
Canonical form of marriage in the Latin Catholic Church
Latin Catholics are normally required to give marital consent, in the presence of a priest or deacon (who is authorized by law or possesses that authority through delegation from a competent Church authority) and two witnesses (canon 1108).
There are certain variations and exemptions, but it is general rule. Without this form, the marriage is invalid. It does not even enjoy the presumption of being valid. Technically, it would not present an annulment case, since it can be declared invalid by a simple decree or prenuptial investigation.
Often parties wed this way because at least one needed a declaration of nullity for a former marriage, and could not have been married “in the Church” at the time nof the first ceremony. So they went to a civil authority or some non - Catholic minister (other than an Orthodox priest).
Simple convalidation normally requires the parties to exchange consent by placing a new act of the will according to the “canonical form of marriage.” This ceremony is just the Catholic rite of marriage (questions, declarations, and vows). The ritual book indicates when it should or can be done within the Eucharistic liturgy, and when not. Of course, the parties must be free to marry, and the priest or deacon have authority to assist at the wedding.
(Some argue this ceremony should be rather private so that scandal is avoided. Others argue for a splashy wedding so the couple realizes that the second ceremony is the real thing.)
Since the first ceremony was registered as a marriage by civil authorities already though, there is no need to apply for another civil license.
What is critical is that both parties place a new act of marital consent. This requires each person to believe that the first act of consent was not effective to create the bonds of marriage. Once again, this is the juridic case of a marriage of a Catholic who marries outside the Church apart from the exceptions in law. In reality, no marriage was created apart from the civilly sanctioned aspects.
Canon 1157 “The renewal of consent must be a new act of the will concerning a marriage which the person who is renewing consent knows or thinks was null from the beginning.”
In some cases, a party genuinely believes that the first consent was effective and will not place a new act, or will not undergo a convalidation ceremony. Usually it is the non Catholic who believes that the earlier ceremony was sufficient to create a valid marriage. Sometimes Catholics, who should know better, fall into this error.
Radical Sanation (c. 1161)
A second kind of convalidation called a radical sanation, a healing to the root, can be granted by the diocesan bishop, without a new ceremony or even the knowledge of the parties (canon 1164). He must be certain that their consent, though legally ineffective, does continue.
This is typically used when a party believes that the earlier wedding ceremony was sufficient to constitute marriage and will not give new marital consent. Such a person could either refuse to undergo another ceremony, or would participate in one but fail to give valid new consent.
In this case though, the pre nuptial investigation is conducted to establish the freedom of the parties to marry. If one is non-Catholic so that dispensations or permissions are needed, this has to be examined as well. The bishop cannot radically sanate marriages where there are impediments that only the Apostolic See can dispense from.
Deacon John Cameron JCL
Lansing, MI
**Convalidation is a remedy in Church law by which a previously invalid marriage becomes valid. There are two kinds of convalidation: simple convalidation and radical sanation. **
Omitting the less frequent variations, and skirting some of the technical issues.
Simple convalidation
Most often simple convalidation involves the case in which at least one party was a Latin Catholic, obliged to the “canonical form of marriage,” and yet “married outside the Church” without any dispensation to do so.
(Commonly but incorrectly is it called “blessing a marriage.” Blessing a marriage is what an Eastern Catholic priest does in an Eastern Catholic wedding, and it is required for validity. It is the “canonical form” for Eastern Catholic Churches. The form for the Latin Catholic Church follows.)
Canonical form of marriage in the Latin Catholic Church
Latin Catholics are normally required to give marital consent, in the presence of a priest or deacon (who is authorized by law or possesses that authority through delegation from a competent Church authority) and two witnesses (canon 1108).
There are certain variations and exemptions, but it is general rule. Without this form, the marriage is invalid. It does not even enjoy the presumption of being valid. Technically, it would not present an annulment case, since it can be declared invalid by a simple decree or prenuptial investigation.
Often parties wed this way because at least one needed a declaration of nullity for a former marriage, and could not have been married “in the Church” at the time nof the first ceremony. So they went to a civil authority or some non - Catholic minister (other than an Orthodox priest).
Simple convalidation normally requires the parties to exchange consent by placing a new act of the will according to the “canonical form of marriage.” This ceremony is just the Catholic rite of marriage (questions, declarations, and vows). The ritual book indicates when it should or can be done within the Eucharistic liturgy, and when not. Of course, the parties must be free to marry, and the priest or deacon have authority to assist at the wedding.
(Some argue this ceremony should be rather private so that scandal is avoided. Others argue for a splashy wedding so the couple realizes that the second ceremony is the real thing.)
Since the first ceremony was registered as a marriage by civil authorities already though, there is no need to apply for another civil license.
What is critical is that both parties place a new act of marital consent. This requires each person to believe that the first act of consent was not effective to create the bonds of marriage. Once again, this is the juridic case of a marriage of a Catholic who marries outside the Church apart from the exceptions in law. In reality, no marriage was created apart from the civilly sanctioned aspects.
Canon 1157 “The renewal of consent must be a new act of the will concerning a marriage which the person who is renewing consent knows or thinks was null from the beginning.”
In some cases, a party genuinely believes that the first consent was effective and will not place a new act, or will not undergo a convalidation ceremony. Usually it is the non Catholic who believes that the earlier ceremony was sufficient to create a valid marriage. Sometimes Catholics, who should know better, fall into this error.
Radical Sanation (c. 1161)
A second kind of convalidation called a radical sanation, a healing to the root, can be granted by the diocesan bishop, without a new ceremony or even the knowledge of the parties (canon 1164). He must be certain that their consent, though legally ineffective, does continue.
This is typically used when a party believes that the earlier wedding ceremony was sufficient to constitute marriage and will not give new marital consent. Such a person could either refuse to undergo another ceremony, or would participate in one but fail to give valid new consent.
In this case though, the pre nuptial investigation is conducted to establish the freedom of the parties to marry. If one is non-Catholic so that dispensations or permissions are needed, this has to be examined as well. The bishop cannot radically sanate marriages where there are impediments that only the Apostolic See can dispense from.
Deacon John Cameron JCL
Lansing, MI
T
TJD
Guest
Puzzleannie & Deacon John,
Thanks for the answers.
Christ’s Peace,
TJD
Thanks for the answers.
Christ’s Peace,
TJD
S
stbruno
Guest
Marriages of a Catholic to a Christian of another denomination usually will not have a nuptial mass whether it is witnessed by a priest or a deacon because one of the parties either the bride or groom plus their families may not receive the Holy Eucharist…It is still a beautiful rite performed within the allowances of the Catholic church and no less sacramental in form. During this form of the marriage rite, communion is not allowed to be offered.
There is a wonderful website www.inthespiritofcana.org that explains the marriage guidelines of the Catholic church.
There is a wonderful website www.inthespiritofcana.org that explains the marriage guidelines of the Catholic church.
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