Is convalidation right for us?

[salgueiro]

Hello,
My fiance and I recently returned from Portugal where we became engaged and made wedding arrangements with his childhood church/priest to be married in September 2009. With the language barrier we are a bit confused. My fiance is Catholic and I am a baptized Episcopalian. The priest said to A. get married civilly in California. B. go to the Portuguese consulate in Los Angeles with our marriage certificate and C. visit a catholic church in our community and have the priest “sign something” We are not sure what he means but are afraid of running out of time in dealing with the consulate. Our civil ceremony is set for next weekend and then should we sign up for the convalidation program? I know that things are done differently in different cultures and not being Catholic I apologize that I don’t know more…our priest met with his parents and there is a bit lost in translation…thank you for your kind help and God bless.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi

Some countries do not recognize Church weddings. They require that the couple be married civilly first. The Catholic Church goes along with this, but does not recognize the civil wedding as valid. So the couple are not to live as husband and wife until AFTER the Church wedding.

In this situation we don’t ordinarily refer to the wedding as a convalidation, though technically I suppose one could. What is important for the couple to know is that the real marriage begins at the Church wedding and to conduct themselves accordingly.

You are in my prayers.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.