Married in the Church Only?

[thomasf]

I happened to pick up the local paper the other day, and was reading the advice columns. Dear Abby had a column about couples that were only gettig married in the church, and not legally. There were various reasons given, from not losing tax deductions to assisted healthcare and entitlement programs and finacial problems of one of the parties, etc. For whatever reason, these couples were getting married in their churches, and not legally. I don’t believe there was a catholic couple in there, but from various denominations.

So the question is, could a catholic couple get married in the church only, and not legally in the courts? Or is it mandatory that they be married both ways?

I know when it comes to dissolving the marriage, even in divorce a couple can be considered married in the church still. But does it work the other way around?

 

[mommamia]

I can’t say for sure, but there was a little snafu with our marriage license and dh and I had to go to the next state where there was no waiting period and get legally married. The Church that we had our ceremony in would not marry us without the legal license, or proof of a valid legal marriage first. We had to show proof that we did go across the border and get legally married.

So I would say that no at least in my state, the Church would not do a Church only wedding.

 

[Phemie]

The Church generally follows the law of the land, unless said law is against God’s law. It will usually not celebrate a marriage that is being celebrated only in the Church to avoid having to pay more taxes, etc. That would be helping a couple defraud the government.

 

[Corki]

In the US, the Church acts as an agent of the civil authority when conducting or witnessing a marriage so I don’t think it could be done here. Not only that but most of the reasons you listed would mean that if the Church were to participate in this she would be helping to commit some kind of fraud against the government or the insurance companies. I don’t think that would ever be allowed.

Now in some countries where to be married would mean persecution, I could see this happening. But not for financial reasons.