Marriage ceremony to an unbaptized person

[1ke]

I did not received baptism until a year after our marriage. At that point our marriage all of a sudden becomes sacramental?

Yes, that’s correct. Baptism is the gateway to all other Sacraments. The Church teaches that a marriage between two baptized person is by it’s very nature a Sacrament. So, your baptism created the condition by which your marriage became a Sacrament.

Doesn’t make sense to me. Please help me understand.

What about it doesn’t make sense.

Wouldn’t we need to present ourselves to the church, after my baptism, to receive the sacrament upon our marriage, in order for it to really qualify as sacred?

Nope. It is 100% a Sacrament right now, and has been since the moment of your baptism.

How can one action (marriage in this case), that is not considered sacred, all of a sudden become sacred, by an action (baptism) that is performed at a later date?

Baptism imparts a new character to your soul. At that moment your marriage became a Sacrament and indissoluable.

 

[Thomas63116]

Yes, that’s correct. Baptism is the gateway to all other Sacraments. The Church teaches that a marriage between two baptized person is by it’s very nature a Sacrament. So, your baptism created the condition by which your marriage became a Sacrament.

I could be off base here, but doesn’t this kind of reflect the idea that the sacrament of marriage extends outside the wedding ceremony itself and into the daily commitment in the lives of the spouses?

No other ceremony is needed. . .they are already validly married, and once the other spouse is baptized that (ongoing) marriage becomes sacramental.

 

[SMHW]

I could be off base here, but doesn’t this kind of reflect the idea that the sacrament of marriage extends outside the wedding ceremony itself and into the daily commitment in the lives of the spouses?

No other ceremony is needed. . .they are already validly married, and once the other spouse is baptized that (ongoing) marriage becomes sacramental.

I think you put it well. The (Western) Church does not actually confer the sacrament on a couple who validly marries. It gives them the authority to confer the sacrament on each other. And this is not a ‘once in time and space’ kind of sacrament; it’s a more of a continual conferral which lasts for the lifetime of the couple.

In the case of a valid natural marriage involving at least one unbaptized person, there can be no sacrament. If at some point both parties to the natural marriage are baptized, they now have the implicit authority of the Church to confer the sacrament upon each other starting at the time of the latter baptism.

 

[wanner47]

I was an unbaptized when I married my spouse, a practicing catholic. We were allowed to marry with in the catholic church before the alter. We did not have a full mass at our wedding, communion was not offered.

I did not received baptism until a year after our marriage. At that point our marriage all of a sudden becomes sacramental? Doesn’t make sense to me. Please help me understand.

Wouldn’t we need to present ourselves to the church, after my baptism, to receive the sacrament upon our marriage, in order for it to really qualify as sacred?

How can one action (marriage in this case), that is not considered sacred, all of a sudden become sacred, by an action (baptism) that is performed at a later date?

Just confused…

This article might help clarify.

jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2008/05/sacramental-mar.html

 

[Sabda]

My daughter is marrying someone who is not baptized and the priest said there can be no Mass. Why can’t there be a Mass at a marriage to an unbaptized person? They can go to Mass on Sunday or any day of the week. Half of the people in attendance will be Catholic.

Also is this ceremony considered to be the Sacrament of Matrimony for my daughter?

As others have pointed out the priest is right. You daughter will be in a natural marriage but not a sacramental one. She also can not have a Nuptial Mass.

My husband is also not baptized. What happend at our wedding was we had the procession of my dad and I down the aisle. Than the basics of the Liturgy of the Word, readings with a homily, and then the wedding ceremony with the blessing of the rings and vows. I would suspect that your daughter would have something similar to our wedding.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Meaning that having it outside Mass means the sacrament ISN’T enacted?

Maybe I should have said that having the vows take place at a mass indicates or points out the fact that this is a sacrament entered into by two baptized persons. That would not be true in this case; since one of the people isn’t baptized it isn’t possible for it to be a sacrament.

Having the wedding outside of mass doesn’t necessarily mean it is not a sacrament. For instance, two Catholics may choose to have a wedding without a mass. Or a couple may choose not to be married at mass because one of them is a baptized Protestant and wouldn’t be receiving communion. In both those cases, it would be a sacramental marriage.

 

[Just_Lurking]

Maybe I should have said that having the vows take place at a mass indicates or points out the fact that this is a sacrament entered into by two baptized persons. That would not be true in this case; since one of the people isn’t baptized it isn’t possible for it to be a sacrament.

I’ve read that the liturgy for the celebration of marriage within a mass states in several places that the marriage being celebrated is a sacrament, which is another reason that that rite should not be used when one of the people isn’t baptized.

 

[Phemie]

I’ve read that the liturgy for the celebration of marriage within a mass states in several places that the marriage being celebrated is a sacrament, which is another reason that that rite should not be used when one of the people isn’t baptized.

As long as the 2 are baptized, the Rite of Marriage is the same whether in Mass or in a Liturgy of the Word. The Rite of Marriage is different when one is not baptized.

I’m sure you could insert the “Rite for Celebrating Marriage Between a Catholic and an Unbaptized Person” into a Mass but why would you want to do so? It’s better to emphasize what unites you rather than what divides you.

When I got married I opted for a Liturgy of the Word simply because the UCC’s liturgy is so different from the Catholic Mass and most of his guests belonged to that denomination. I must say that the priest never suggested that I shouldn’t/couldn’t have Mass because of a mixed-marriage, I’m the one who brought it up. Then again, the priest never brought up much of anything. I went in, did the paperwork in an hour and that was it until the wedding.

 

[puzzleannie]

My daughter is marrying someone who is not baptized and the priest said there can be no Mass. Why can’t there be a Mass at a marriage to an unbaptized person? They can go to Mass on Sunday or any day of the week. Half of the people in attendance will be Catholic.

Also is this ceremony considered to be the Sacrament of Matrimony for my daughter?

Fr Serpa has answered this before on AAA, and his personal practice, I believe, is not to celebrate a nuptial Mass for a mixed marriage, and it is the policy of many priests. There is no canon law forbidding it, but it is strongly discouraged to even distribute communion, which is the ultimate sign of Christian unity, when half those intending including one of the newlyweds cannot receive. Please discuss with the priest and hear him out on his reasons, you may become convinced.

btw, the marraige does not belong to you or your daughter, it is a rite of the Church, and it belongs to the priest to dictate the way in which the rite will be carried out. Bear in mind if your daughter is marrying an unbaptized man she is contracting a valid natural marriage, but no sacrament is taking place, so it is not appropriate to have the exchange of vows during the Mass which celebrates the sacrament of Eucahrist.