Marriage blessing query

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halogirl

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Hi all. So my husband and I got married in the Methodist Church both of us baptised. I am now Catholic. Whilst our marriage is sacramentally valid, I was wondering if it is possible to have our marriage blessed by a priest at all to reflect the fact I’ve now converted? It’s not necessary but I’d like to if it’s possible. Any advice on if this can be done?
 
Ask about convalidation. I am not sure if that’s the way to go but your priest will know
 
When people talk about having their marriage “blessed” most often they are talking about convalidation. Convalidation is a process of marriage vows being said to make a natural marriage sacramental. If your marriage was already valid, it became sacramental upon joining the Church. There is no other step needed to make it more so.

You may choose to have a little renewal of vows ceremony, speak to your parish office staff to see how it is done in your parish.
 
You can have an anniversary celebration in which the priest blesses you and your marriage. It’s not a convalidation, as others have mentioned, because your always- valid and sacramental marriage is still both of those things.

Congratulations!
 
halogirl said:
if it is possible to have our marriage blessed by a priest at all to reflect the fact I’ve now converted?
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You can receive the nuptial blessing. Every couple (woman, technically) who has not yet received the nuptial blessing can do so. That would be lovely

If by “bless” you really mean “convalidated”, no. Convalidation is the new exchange of consent to make an invalid marriage valid. Your marriage is already valid.
 
I’m looking forward to it. Our first year of marriage was not great and we both had a lot of growing up to do but we’ve stuck with it and he’s now started asking to come to mass with me. We are in year four now 🙂
 
Yeah I think there’s a difference between a blessing and convalidation when it comes to marriage.

Could be wrong but I thought I heard that the opinion that a marriage or convalidation is a “blessing” by one or both in the marriage could be grounds for annulment due to improper exchange of vows?
 
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There is a big difference—but the OP seems to understand that pretty clearly. She is in a valid sacramental marriage—she’d just like a nuptial blessing.
 
A convalidation is a way to make the marriage valid. It should be made abundantly clear to the couple that this isn’t just a vow renewal, it IS the act of marriage and the redemption of the Sacrament of Matrimony. I think it would be hard to go for a declaration of nullity following a convalidation because the purpose is to MAKE the marriage valid when it wasn’t valid already.

If one person believes that the original consent was sufficient, the marriage can be retroactively made valid through paperwork. This is called a radical donation and is a very common procedure.
 
But this isn’t a convalidation. This is a valid and sacramental marriage for which the OP would like a nuptial blessing, since she is now Catholic.
 
I guess it would just be a matter of talking to the parish priest.
 
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