married as catholic or not married in Church's Eyes?

[Statesteve]

A close family member was “married” in ceremony overseen by a retired catholic priest. the ceremony was held outside at a Rocky Mtn resort. No scripture readings no mention of trinity as vows were exchanged. How am I to look upon this union? They do not practice their faith (Catholic) and co-habitated for 4 years prior to this event. Should the priest be involved in such a ceremony? Confused in Wisconsin.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

To be honest this sounds like an ex-Catholic priest, not a retired one. In the USA Catholic marriages are not permitted to be held outdoors. It sounds to me that while they might be legally married, they are not sacramentally married.

There are a few organizations of priests who left the ministerial priesthood to get married or for other various reasons and they, untruthfully, hold themselves out to others as legitimate priests. While they are indeed always a priest, they do not have faculties and thus cannot validly witness a Catholic marriage.