Married Outside the Church and Convalidation

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giuseppe96

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My best friend’s brother is marrying a Catholic and is being confirmed through RCIA. They plan on being married at a wedding venue by a minister, and then a convalidation ceremony the following week. In the midst of their confirmation classes, the parish priest warned that his fiancée might be “tarnishing her soul” by being married outside the Church. All of my Protestant family friends are of course being rubbed wrong by this
statement. What explanation can I give them?
 
I’m not sure that really makes sense.

They could either wait until he’s confirmed and have a Catholic ceremony, or they can seek permission to be married in a non-Catholic ceremony. But the Catholic church doesn’t typically allow for this situation as you describe.
 
DarkLight said:
They could either wait until he’s confirmed and have a Catholic ceremony, or they can seek permission to be married in a non-Catholic ceremony.
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And they don’t even have to wait to have a Catholic ceremony. He does not need to be Catholic in order for them to be married in the church.
 
giuseppe96 said:
They plan on being married at a wedding venue by a minister, and then a convalidation ceremony the following week.
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Why would they do this? This doesn’t make any sense.

As for the priests’s comments, a Catholic must be married in the church to be married validly. This person is knowingly entering an invalid marriage. If they engage in marital intimacy before the Catholic ceremony a week later, then indeed the bride is placing her soul in jeopardy through fornication.
 
To be clear, a Catholic and non-Catholic can be married in a Catholic ceremony. You can receive dispensation to be married in a location that is not a Catholic church but you normally need a pretty good reason for that. I think that’s what you meant but wanted to clarify for others reading along. 🙂
 
Fair. I meant that the Catholic party would, in either case, require a dispensation to marry the non-Catholic. There would be a separate dispensation to get married outside of a Catholic ceremony.

However, once the fiance is received into a Catholic church, no dispensation would be required.
 
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DarkLight said:
meant that the Catholic party would, in either case, require a dispensation to marry the non-Catholic
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Only if the non Catholic is unbaptized. Otherwise it’s permission for mixed marriage, not dispensation for disparity of cult.
 
How unfortunate.

Reminds me of 41 years ago, when I was entering into Holy Matrimony with my Catholic wife, and I was in the military within days of deployment, going to see a Catholic priest in the town I was to deploy from, and hearing him say “I cannot support her marrying a non-Catholic, especially a Lutheran…I suggest you go back home and discuss the matter with her parish priest”…

34 years later, as I embraced the faith and took steps to join the Church in full communion, the priest who confirmed me said he thought it a miracle that I even pursued crossing the Tiber after that.

Our convalidation was celebrated 5 years after my conversion.

Praise be to God!
 
Hereiam said:
How unfortunate.

Reminds me of 41 years ago, when I was entering into Holy Matrimony with my Catholic wife, and I was in the military within days of deployment, going to see a Catholic priest in the town I was to deploy from, and hearing him say strong text"I cannot support her marrying a non-Catholic, especially a Lutheran…I suggest you go back home and discuss the matter with her parish priest"…strong text

34 years later, as I embraced the faith and took steps to join the Church in full communion, the priest who confirmed me said he thought it a miracle that I even pursued crossing the Tiber after that.

Our convalidation was celebrated 5 years after my conversion.

Praise be to God!
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Sounds eerily familiar…trying to bold from my phone…no bueno.
 
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I understand, but how do I explain to the Protestant side that two Catholics must be married in the Church?
 
Why is it up to you to explain?
Not trying to be argumentative, just asking.
It’s their wedding, after all.
 
All Sacramental marriages are vaild, but, not all valid marriages are Sacramental.

If two validly baptized people (be they Methodists or Assembly of God or any mixture) are both free to marry, they enter a Sacramental marriage.

If one or both parties is Catholic, they must follow the rules of the Catholic Church. Simple as that.

You might find www.foryourmarriage.org to be helpful.
 
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