Marriage question

[apdepuy]

Does the Catholic Church require a valid marriage license before they will marry someone? In other words, can I be sacramentally married in the church without being legally married in my state?

 

[ALLGIRLS]

It’s required in the U.S. I’m not sure about other countries.

In Christ,
Ellen

 

[apdepuy]

May I ask why?

 

[1ke]

Does the Catholic Church require a valid marriage license before they will marry someone?

Yes.

In other words, can I be sacramentally married in the church without being legally married in my state?

No, not under normal circumstances. It would require permission of the bishop:

Can.* 1071 §1. Except in a case of necessity, a person is not to assist without the permission of the local ordinary at:

2/ a marriage which cannot be recognized or celebrated according to the norm of civil law;

Can.* 1130 For a grave and urgent cause, the local ordinary can permit a marriage to be celebrated secretly.

Can.* 1131 Permission to celebrate a marriage secretly entails the following:

1/ the investigations which must be conducted before the marriage are done secretly;

2/ the local ordinary, the one assisting, the witnesses, and the spouses observe secrecy about the marriage celebrated.

Can.* 1132 The obligation of observing the secrecy mentioned in ⇒ can. 1131, n. 2 ceases on the part of the local ordinary if grave scandal or grave harm to the holiness of marriage is imminent due to the observance of the secret; this is to be made known to the parties before the celebration of the marriage.

Can.* 1133 A marriage celebrated secretly is to be noted only in a special register to be kept in the secret archive of the curia.

 

[1ke]

May I ask why?

Because marriage has a public dimension.

 

[Equites_Christi]

Can.* 1133 A marriage celebrated secretly is to be noted only in a special register to be kept in the secret archive of the curia.

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