Is Convalidation a Big Deal?

[freddo]

I guess I don’t really understand it. If it’s just a piece of paper, why is it so important?

 

[Phemie]

I guess I don’t really understand it. If it’s just a piece of paper, why is it so important?

If your marriage is invalid it means you are living a life of sin, fornication to be exact. A simple convalidation is a marriage in the Church, not simply a piece of paper but actually a marriage ceremony. You are then married validly with all the privileges that stem from that.

 

[puzzleannie]

I guess I don’t really understand it. If it’s just a piece of paper, why is it so important?

it is a very big deal, Matrimony is a sacrament of the Church, instituted by grace and effective in giving grace, the life of God within us. Convalidation validates an invalid marriage and since the parties are presumably baptized CAtholic, also is a sacrament. The Catholic who has been living in an objective state of mortal sin, totally severed from God’s grace and communion with His Church is restored, can now be absolved in sacramental confession and return to full life in Christ through Eucharist and the other sacraments.

The worst thing that can happen to a Catholic is not death, it is living outside the state of sanctifying grace, and contracting an invalid marriage causes that. Convalidation cures it. It is not a piece of paper, it is an action of Christ with the couple that restores their relationship with each other and with Him.

 

[Seatuck]

I agree with the above. Marriage outside of the church puts us outside of the church community by our own action. It’s lonely out there and quite possibly deadly to our souls.

 

[freddo]

The reason I ask is because I thought it was a big deal, but in talking with the priest today, it seemed like it wasn’t. He said that all it meant was that a person was married in the eyes of the state, but not the church.

If your marriage is invalid it means you are living a life of sin, fornication to be exact. A simple convalidation is a marriage in the Church, not simply a piece of paper but actually a marriage ceremony. You are then married validly with all the privileges that stem from that.

I asked if the person would be considered a fornicator and he said no, that the marriage itself was valid, just not recognized by the church. But that would be rectified by filling out a form basically.

 

[laszlo]

The reason I ask is because I thought it was a big deal, but in talking with the priest today, it seemed like it wasn’t. He said that all it meant was that a person was married in the eyes of the state, but not the church.

I asked if the person would be considered a fornicator and he said no, that the marriage itself was valid, just not recognized by the church. But that would be rectified by filling out a form basically.

Sometimes priest are wrong. The validity of the marriage for Catholics requires the interaction of the Church. Without that they live in sin.

Ask your priest, that if the hypothetical case you change your mind and want to marry someone else, will you previous (civil) marriage be declared invalid or not?

 

[Joannm]

It doesn’t require simply filling out a form. If there were no previous marriages then, yes, the paper work would be simple but you would still have to go through a rite of marriage,w hich means a simple ceremony. Some couples make a big deal over it, some prefer only themselves and witnesses. Also depending on the length of the marriage, some diocese may require some sort of preparation sessions. At the very least, the priest should be discussing some things with the couple, such as the meaning of a Christian marriage, the obligations of the spouses, expecially with regard to children, and to encourage the couple to go to confesson and to be active memebers of the parish.

 

[Warrior1979]

I guess I don’t really understand it. If it’s just a piece of paper, why is it so important?

It really isn’t that difficult, provided there are no impediments; e.g., prior marriages that have not been declared invalid by the Church, etc. BTW, if you strongly object to a simple convalidation, you could request a radical sanation.

 

[promethius95945]

If your marriage is invalid it means you are living a life of sin, fornication to be exact. A simple convalidation is a marriage in the Church, not simply a piece of paper but actually a marriage ceremony. You are then married validly with all the privileges that stem from that.

That is not necessarily true, as those who believe their marraige to be valid are putatively married, if not sacramentally. Just because a marraige is not valid does not necessarily put those involved in a state of mortal sin.

A convalidation, likewise, is not a FULL marraige ceremony. It is exactly what it says it is: a joint validation which corrects any sacramental deficiencies from a previous ceremony. If coordinated properly ahead of time, a convalidation MIGHT just be as simple as filling out a form and/or having the priest attend your wedding to ensure that all sacramental requirements are taken care of (mostly in the case of a catholic and a non-catholic getting married). If two catholics are married in a non-catholic ceremony, a convalidation will much more likely resemble a full wedding mass. It all depends on the circumstances surrounding the situation.

 

[Phemie]

That is not necessarily true, as those who believe their marraige to be valid are putatively married, if not sacramentally. Just because a marraige is not valid does not necessarily put those involved in a state of mortal sin.

A convalidation, likewise, is not a FULL marraige ceremony. It is exactly what it says it is: a joint validation which corrects any sacramental deficiencies from a previous ceremony. If coordinated properly ahead of time, a convalidation MIGHT just be as simple as filling out a form and/or having the priest attend your wedding to ensure that all sacramental requirements are taken care of (mostly in the case of a catholic and a non-catholic getting married). If two catholics are married in a non-catholic ceremony, a convalidation will much more likely resemble a full wedding mass. It all depends on the circumstances surrounding the situation.

A simple convalidation is a marriage ceremony with exchange of consent in front of two witnesses and a priest or deacon (or a lay person appointed by the bishop if there is no clergy available). It can be as simple as saying your vows after a Saturday Mass or as involved as a full Nuptial Mass with all the trappings.

The highlighted part is not a convalidation. I think you mixing up a wedding where the couple has received a dispensation from ‘canonical form’ with a dispensation, particularly where you mention having a priest present – something that’s not even a requirement in a lack of form wedding.

There is such a thing as convalidation by radical sanation, which does not require an exchange of consent, but that is usually only done when one of the parties refuses to repeat the vows and can be done without the knowledge of one or even, in some instances, of both parties.

 

[felicity1984]

This is an interesting topic for me. For the last, almost, year I have been slowly learning about and returning to the catholic faith

My issue is that I am civily married. My husband is not catholic, and in fact, is not religious at all. Has anyone got experience of a convalidation? What would be expected from my husband? Is it common to have to go through preparation time or something similiar? Also witnesses are required, they have to be catholic?? We don’t really have any catholic family/friends here?

Thank you for any help or experience that anyone can share.

 

[1ke]

What would be expected from my husband?

You and he would go through the Catholic premarital process (which varies from diocese to diocese), do some paperwork with the priest, and then exchange consent (vows) in the Catholic form before a priest and two witnesses.

Depending upon your situation, you might be able to ask for radical sanation instead of simple convalidation, which does not involve the new exchange of consent.

Is it common to have to go through preparation time or something similiar?

Yes.

Also witnesses are required, they have to be catholic??

No, they aren’t required to be Catholic.

 

[felicity1984]

Thanks for the prompt answers.

 

[Seatuck]

The reason I ask is because I thought it was a big deal, but in talking with the priest today, it seemed like it wasn’t. He said that all it meant was that a person was married in the eyes of the state, but not the church.

I asked if the person would be considered a fornicator and he said no, that the marriage itself was valid, just not recognized by the church. But that would be rectified by filling out a form basically.

He was probably just trying to be comforting and show the solution was easy.That was unfortunate, the truth would have been better.
If it wasn’t a big deal why wouldn’t the person be able to receive the sacraments?