Ordained for a wedding

[Thomas63116]

I don’t know if both marrying parties are baptized or not. If they are baptized and are married in a purely legal way, would it still be a sacrament?

As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, yes.

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Here are my thoughts after thinking and researching a bit about this:

1. If your wife were Catholic, I think this would clearly be a bad idea, because it could be construed as abandoning the Catholic church and joining whatever church is offering this ordination.
2. If either of the people getting married were Catholic it would clearly be a bad idea, because they would have an obligation to marry according to the Church’s form.
3. If your wife actively practiced some othe faith, it would probably be a bad idea, again because it might suggest that she was abandoning her faith to “join” the church offering this ordination.
4. If your state offered some sort of purely civil authority which would allow her to preside at a wedding, that would be clearly preferable to an “ordination” of this type. From a quick internet search, Illinois does not seem to offer this option. If your wife does this, she and the couple getting married should make sure they are clear on any other requirements from the state to make sure the marriage would be legally recognized.
5. If the ordination would require your wife to subscribe to some set of beliefs which she really does not adhere to, it would probably be a bad idea.
6. Finally, I really think intent matters a great deal. There is a risk that this could be seen as “mocking” the sacrament of ordination and/or marriage. From what you’ve indicated, I don’t think that’s your wife’s intent or the intent of any of the couple.

Rather, the intent seems to be to have someone they know and care about preside at their wedding, making it more meaningful for them. If there were a purely secular way to make this happen (as there is in some states) they would probably prefer it. But in your state that is not possible, so they are pursuing the option which is availble. If your wife can do that without violating her own conscience, or the precepts of her own faith, then I don’t see any reason for you to object to it.

 

[basilisk]

If they are baptized and are married in a purely legal way, would it still be a sacrament?

Jon

If they have followed their own church’s requirements for form, then the Catholic Church would consider it valid. A sacrament, I don’t know. Some Christian churches don’t consider marriage a sacrament, so how could the Catholic Church see a marriage performed there as sacramental?

 

[Thomas63116]

If they have followed their own church’s requirements for form, then the Catholic Church would consider it valid. A sacrament, I don’t know. Some Christian churches don’t consider marriage a sacrament, so how could the Catholic Church see a marriage performed there as sacramental?

As I understand Catholic teaching, marriage IS a sacrament. The fact that some people who receive it (many of our Protestant brothers and sisters) do not recognize it as such does not change it’s reality.

However, since baptism is a gateway to all of the other scarements, if one or both persons getting married are not baptized, then it is not a sacrament. Rather, the church refers to it as a valid, natural marriage. If the party who was not baptized later is baptized, then the marriage becomes sacramental, without any need to have a new ceremony, etc.

Also, I do not believe that the Catholic Church is concerned with whether other Christians follow their own denominations requirements as to form, only whether it’s own members do so. Therefore, the requirement for form only impacts the validity of a marriage in which one or both of the parties is Catholic.

 

[kage_ar]

If they have followed their own church’s requirements for form, then the Catholic Church would consider it valid. A sacrament, I don’t know. Some Christian churches don’t consider marriage a sacrament, so how could the Catholic Church see a marriage performed there as sacramental?

If there are two people who are free to marry (no divorces in the past) and they are non-Catholic (never baptized Catholic) and they have both been baptized as Christians in the Trinitarian formula, their marriage is presumed to be both valid and Sacramental.

Same people as above, except one or both is not baptized, marriage presumed to be valid but cannot be sacramental.

 

[JonW]

Thanks so much for the replies, folks. A big thank you to Thomas. Your responses have really helped me sort this out. I’ll let you guys know what happens.

Jon