Non catholic's "renting" a Church to get married in

[fleebeedoo]

My friend and her fiancee are to be married in a couple of weeks in my parish Church by my priest and neither of them are Catholics. When asked why they wanted a Catholic Church, she said she was poor and that it was the cheapest in town ($100) Is this an acceptable practice? and if not what could be flee bee done about it? -fleebeedoo

 

[Karin]

TWO non - Catholics getting married by a priest in the Church…just becuase it is the cheapest place in town???

Does not sound right to me…never heard of it being done…but I guess there is a 1st for everything

 

[plato3]

Heard of "Rent -A-Priest, never heard of Rent-A-Church.

 

[Scottgun]

This sounds like a canon law issue. Morally I’m not sure there is a problem with it as Catholics recognize non-Catholic Christian marriages as sacramental, but I don’t know.

 

[cameron_lansing]

My friend and her fiancee are to be married in a couple of weeks in my parish Church by my priest and neither of them are Catholics. When asked why they wanted a Catholic Church, she said she was poor and that it was the cheapest in town ($100) Is this an acceptable practice? and if not what could be flee bee done about it? -fleebeedoo

I can appreciate your puzzlement. Perhaps you could just ask your parish priest to clarify things where he can and will. (Though I don’t quite understand your point about “Is this an acceptable practice? and if not what could be flee bee done about it?”)

Unless there is evidence to the contrary, I would presume: a) the priest has consulted his bishop in light of this unusual situation for direction, and b) the bishop has considered civil and Church law, and c) the bishop has made a judgement on the matter, and d) the priest will follow the bishop’s judgement.

There are three points here: the parties and the building and the officiant.

1. For the sake of response, let’s take your cousin at her word and accept that this couple is poor and wants to have their marriage solemnized in a decent manner and in a decent setting — something more than I do’s before a civil magistrate in the basement closet of city hall and with some religious elements in a house of worship. In short, let’s presume they want to act in good faith.
2. Clearly, a Catholic church building can be used for a wedding by two non Catholics with the permission of and according to the limits set by the bishop. This would be allowable under certain conditions according to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 1993 (n. 137). The bishop has to make the decision and would evaluate the motives for the request. Let the bishop judge the intentions of the parties. That would really not be our role, or at least not mine.
3. Certainly there is another issue raised here by the potential role of a Catholic priest in solemnizing the marriage of non Catholics. But this presents many thorny issues of both Church and civil law (trust me as I’ve had to look at two such situations in the past year). I do not think it would be helpful to even attempt to address them here. These points are best discussed by the bishop with his canonical and legal advisors.

 

[mystified]

This is not without precident. I recall reading that Andrew Jackson exchanged vows with his wife (both Protestants) in front of a Catholic priest. Because priests have long been recognized by the various states as legitimate witnesses to marriage, this would have been a “civil” wedding, not a “Catholic” wedding in a Mass.
More recently, my non-Catholic niece’s marriage was in a remote Abbey and officiated by a non-Catholic minister. There was no Mass. The very orthodox Catholic abbot, a longtime family friend, then imparted a blessing on the couple.
I am aware that the abbot and others from the monastary have assisted many people through annulments and other marriage tribunlal procedures, so don’t think the latter would have taken place without all the proper clearances. These monks have the support of their spread-out desert community, including ministers of most of the other churches.

 

[cameron_lansing]

Because priests have long been recognized by the various states as legitimate witnesses to marriage, this would have been a “civil” wedding, not a “Catholic” wedding in a Mass.

That points to the complexity of the thing.

In my state, for example, priests and deacons and other “ministers of the gospel” are only competent as according to the regulations of their denomination. That is true elsewhere.

Yet my state also has a “good faith” solution if someone lacks authority to solemnize marriage but the couple believes that he or she does. In those cases, the marriage cannot be civilly declared void.

Remember too, and I assume you probably know this, that a Catholic wedding need not involve a Mass.

But your other point is well taken. We have to start with the presumption that Church officials do follow Church law and just civil law, unless there is some indication otherwise. Most are pretty good about that, at least in my experience.

 

[fleebeedoo]

I can appreciate your puzzlement. Perhaps you could just ask your parish priest to clarify things where he can and will. (Though I don’t quite understand your point about “Is this an acceptable practice? and if not what could be flee bee done about it?”)

Unless there is evidence to the contrary, I would presume: a) the priest has consulted his bishop in light of this unusual situation for direction, and b) the bishop has considered civil and Church law, and c) the bishop has made a judgement on the matter, and d) the priest will follow the bishop’s judgement.

I’ll ask him. Your reply adds some rational thought to what at first seemed pretty off the wall, thanks. My point about acceptable practice was that I thought it might be a source of scandal or abuse.

 

[creekmore]

I have heard of renting out the undercroft for receptions,etc. But I have never heard of actually renting out the church. Are you sure they are not renting out the basement of the church?

 

[fleebeedoo]

I have heard of renting out the undercroft for receptions,etc. But I have never heard of actually renting out the church. Are you sure they are not renting out the basement of the church?

YES THE BRIDE TO BE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS IN THE CHURCH. SHE AND THE GROOM BOTH ARE INDIFFERENT TO THE WHOLE THING. IT’S THE MOTHER IN LAW TO BE WHO WANTS ALL THE “TRAPPINGS” OF A CHURCH WEDDING. THEY LOOKED AROUND TOWN AT ALL THE BABTIST CHURCHES THAT WANTED $700 AND UP. APARENTLY THEY FOUND A GREAT DEAL AT MY PARISH.

 

[prv]

YES THE BRIDE TO BE WAS VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS IN THE CHURCH. SHE AND THE GROOM BOTH ARE INDIFFERENT TO THE WHOLE THING. IT’S THE MOTHER IN LAW TO BE WHO WANTS ALL THE “TRAPPINGS” OF A CHURCH WEDDING. THEY LOOKED AROUND TOWN AT ALL THE BABTIST CHURCHES THAT WANTED $700 AND UP. APARENTLY THEY FOUND A GREAT DEAL AT MY PARISH.

Using our Churches for the “deals?” I understand it may be permissible according to Canon law, the directory of ecumenism, but for “deals?” Perhaps they should be married before a judge instead to prevent scandal in the Holy Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ? $700? $700??!!! I understand the minister is entitled to some recompense for one’s ministrations, but can’t the needs of the poor be taken into consideration? I think selling the ministrations at $700 is outrageous even for the rich.