Marriage convalidation

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Klg1975

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Hello, my husband and I were raised Methodist and Baptist. We were married by a Methodist Minister 39 years ago. After my brother married and joined the Catholic church, I went through RCIA and joined the church about 15 years ago.

A recent church bulletin talked about the marriage sacrament, and said a marriage outside the Church would not allow the person to receive the Eucharist.

Does this mean I can no longer recieve the Eucharist? My husband no longer attends any church and did not join the Catholic church. Thank you for your answers.
 
The bulletin sounds like it is referring to Catholics who got married outside the church without a dispensation. Since you weren’t Catholic when you got married you were not bound by it’s rules to get married in the Church.
 
Cider is right

Your marriage is viewed by the Church as valid and if both of you are baptized sacramental. If your spouse is not baptized than it would be considered a natural union.
 
Klg1975 said:
Hello, my husband and I were raised Methodist and Baptist. We were married by a Methodist Minister 39 years ago. After my brother married and joined the Catholic church, I went through RCIA and joined the church about 15 years ago.

A recent church bulletin talked about the marriage sacrament, and said a marriage outside the Church would not allow the person to receive the Eucharist.

Does this mean I can no longer recieve the Eucharist? My husband no longer attends any church and did not join the Catholic church. Thank you for your answers.
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The church recognizes your marriage as sacramental, you have no worries, you are fine.
 
adrift said:
Cider is right

Your marriage is viewed by the Church as valid and if both of you are baptized sacramental. If your spouse is not baptized than it would be considered a natural union.
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What is this natural union? My wife has never been baptized. However, neither of us were Catholic when we got married.
 
buzzoff1031 said:
What is this natural union? My wife has never been baptized. However, neither of us were Catholic when we got married.
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It’s a valid marriage that is not Sacramental. All the other Sacraments require Baptism first so if either party is unbaptized, the marriage cannot be Sacramental. If, at some point in time, the unbaptized spouse gets Baptized, the marriage becomes automatically Sacramental.
 
I thought only baptized Catholics could recieve the Eucharist.
 
This is why Church bulletins should always include the advice that if you have questions to see your priest as they can cause fear if it is not spelled out completely. I am so sorry you had this fear when there was no need.
 
buzzoff1031 said:
What is this natural union? My wife has never been baptized. However, neither of us were Catholic when we got married.
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A sacramental marriage brings the strength of the Holy Spirit to the couple and is also a sign, it is supernatural. This is different than a natural marriage, although the baptized spouse has the Holy Spirit when in a Holy disposition.
 
Corki said:
It’s a valid marriage that is not Sacramental. All the other Sacraments require Baptism first so if either party is unbaptized, the marriage cannot be Sacramental. If, at some point in time, the unbaptized spouse gets Baptized, the marriage becomes automatically Sacramental.
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Vico said:
A sacramental marriage brings the strength of the Holy Spirit to the couple and is also a sign, it is supernatural. This is different than a natural marriage, although the baptized spouse has the Holy Spirit when in a Holy disposition.
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So, would my marriage be considered valid even though not sacremental? (As I said my wife is still not baptized and neither of us were Catholic when married.)
 
buzzoff1031 said:
So, would my marriage be considered valid even though not sacremental? (As I said my wife is still not baptized and neither of us were Catholic when married.)
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If you have a concern, you should talk to your priest but, as long as neither of you had any impediment to marry (such as a prior marriage), it sounds like your marriage is valid but not Sacramental. In most cases, if there is a question about the marriage, it gets addressed during RCIA.
 
buzzoff1031 said:
So, would my marriage be considered valid even though not sacremental? (As I said my wife is still not baptized and neither of us were Catholic when married.)
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You said before that “My wife has never been baptized. However, neither of us were Catholic when we got married.”

A natural marriage that is acceptable to the Catholic Church is one where it was publicly witnessed contract, and did not violate any impediments (like too close of a relationship), and of a man and a woman without a prior marriage bond, consenting to a lifelong, exclusive, and monogamous marriage, open to children if they result. And even if one or both of the parties is not a Christian, it will be a valid natural marriage (because the natural state of marriage given by God from the beginning is perpetual, faithful, and accepting of children). If it was in a non-Catholic church, then it would need to be acceptable to that church too. Non-Catholics are not bound to Catholic Church laws.
 
Cool. Even civil marriages in my state, in front of the probate (which is what we got) require two witnesses. We had no impediments and of course intended to be together forever (still together, thus far, for 12 1/2 years). So I’m guessing then that we have a velid marriage. I’d like to talk her one day into convalidation to make it sacremental, but as long as I’m not causing either of us to sin in this regard…
 
buzzoff1031 said:
Cool. Even civil marriages in my state, in front of the probate (which is what we got) require two witnesses. We had no impediments and of course intended to be together forever (still together, thus far, for 12 1/2 years). So I’m guessing then that we have a velid marriage. I’d like to talk her one day into convalidation to make it sacremental, but as long as I’m not causing either of us to sin in this regard…
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When in a natural marriage both are finally baptized then at that moment the already valid natural marriage becomes a sacrament. Convalidation is actually a celebration of a new marriage (because something about the first attempt made it invalid).
 
buzzoff1031 said:
Cool. Even civil marriages in my state, in front of the probate (which is what we got) require two witnesses. We had no impediments and of course intended to be together forever (still together, thus far, for 12 1/2 years). So I’m guessing then that we have a velid marriage. I’d like to talk her one day into convalidation to make it sacremental, but as long as I’m not causing either of us to sin in this regard…
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  1. *]As long as your wife is unbaptized your marriage will not be sacramental.
    *]A convalidation makes an invalid, legal marriage, valid, not necessarily sacramental. It’s still a natural marriage as long as one of the couple is unbaptized.
    *]As you’ve described it, your marriage is a valid, natural marriage. You don’t need and can’t have a convalidation since your marriage is already valid.
    *]If your wife is ever baptized, even if it’s in one of the non-Catholic churches that has a valid baptism, your marriage would become a sacramental marriage.
    *]I she did get baptized you could then opt to renew your vows in a Catholic ceremony to celebrate that fact but that renewal would have no impact on the validity or the sacramentality of your marriage as far as the Church is concerned.
 
buzzoff1031 said:
Cool. Even civil marriages in my state, in front of the probate (which is what we got) require two witnesses. We had no impediments and of course intended to be together forever (still together, thus far, for 12 1/2 years). So I’m guessing then that we have a velid marriage. I’d like to talk her one day into convalidation to make it sacremental, but as long as I’m not causing either of us to sin in this regard…
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As others have pointed out, no convalidation is necessary or even possible. If your wife is ever baptized - thereby becoming Christian - then your marriage will automatically become Sacramental. 🙂
 
I seem to have stolen the thread…LOL. But I definitely appreciate the responses. Thanks guys. I believe I actually understand this finally.
 
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