Marriage in foreign country

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theelusive1

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My son is getting married in Mexico in a Catholic Church in Dec. Today we are told he also needs a affidavit that says he is free to marry a Form 5? I have called our home parish priest and he has no idea what this paper is, he says that should have been all completed in his Pre Cana which he has completed. Due to the time of day I have not been able to call the Chaplian to see if he knows what this paper is. Please help. Thank you.
 
Each diocese has their own numbering of the forms that go into the packet that is kept on each marriage. What might be a form 5 in your diocese might be different from the diocese your son is getting married in. Your best bet would be to contact that diocese and ask what exactly their form 5 is.
 
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theelusive1:
My son is getting married in Mexico in a Catholic Church in Dec. Today we are told he also needs a affidavit that says he is free to marry a Form 5? I have called our home parish priest and he has no idea what this paper is, he says that should have been all completed in his Pre Cana which he has completed. Due to the time of day I have not been able to call the Chaplian to see if he knows what this paper is. Please help. Thank you.
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Also a certified copy of his Baptismal certificate from the parish where his Baptism took place will show on the reverse any other Sacraments received. If a valid Marriage ever took place it would be listed on the back. So if you also include a certified copy of his Baptismal certificate and the space on the back that says “Marriage” and the space that says “Holy Orders” and the space that says “Religious Profession” are all blank. That should help prove that he is free to marry.
 
Thank you. He has not been married. We are trying to get them to fax or email the right form.
 
Br. Rich SFO:
Also a certified copy of his Baptismal certificate from the parish where his Baptism took place will show on the reverse any other Sacraments received. If a valid Marriage ever took place it would be listed on the back. So if you also include a certified copy of his Baptismal certificate and the space on the back that says “Marriage” and the space that says “Holy Orders” and the space that says “Religious Profession” are all blank. That should help prove that he is free to marry.
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I was married in Canada, but I live in States.

The parish we were going to be married in send a request to my pastor and the pastor of the church I was baptized in. They requested a certified Baptism Cert from my baptismal church and a letter from my pastor stating that, to the best of his knowledge, I am free to marry in the Church.

There may or may not have been a form for my pastor to fill out, as I didn’t see either the request or the response myself.
 
Most parishes have some sort of “freedom to marry” form that they make up (this is not a diocesan issued form, generally speaking). Just call your parish and ask for the “freedom to marry” form that they have. There will need to be two people signing for your son in the presence of a priest, deacon or notary public (the first two are free, you’ll have to pay the notary). This can then be sent to Mexico.

Deacon Ed
 
When I got married (exactly 35 years ago, today 😃 ) I had to have a “Letter of Freedom” from every parish in which I had resided for 6 months or more. I imagine that is just in case I got married in one of them and the notification to the parish of my baptism didn’t happen.

I did have a bit of a problem remembering how long I had lived in a couple of places!!
 
The freedom to marry form might also be referred to as Affadavits or witness forms. Two are required for the bride, two for the groom. The people who answer this affadavit in the presence of a priest or a deacon must know the individual for the greater part of their adult life, not someone they just know from work or school.
Frequently the witnesses are parents, older siblings, aunts, cousins etc.
There also is a form or questionnaire for the bride and the groom to fill individually with a priest or deacon that says they are making the decision to marry freely without coercion or impediments. These documents are all sworn or attested to with a Bible, similarly as taking an oath to swear to tell the truth in a court of law.
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.
 
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