performing a marriage as an "ordained"

[Moore11]

Ok, so without going into too much detail here are the circumstances.
A guy I know is in RCIA and is coming into the Church at Easter. His non Catholic friends have asked him to preform a marriage for them and he went online to be “ordained” which we all know is a joke. I think it was probably that universal life Church where one click and you are “ordained”

Now, here are the questions.

1. Should a Catholic (or candidate)“preform” other marriages, (given that they are not a judge or such)
   2 Should a Catholic (or candidate) be ordained in another faith even if it is a technicality?
2. Can such an “ordination” be an obstacle to Confirmation?

He has already been ordained but the marriage has not happened yet.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Ok, so without going into too much detail here are the circumstances.
A guy I know is in RCIA and is coming into the Church at Easter. His non Catholic friends have asked him to preform a marriage for them and he went online to be “ordained” which we all know is a joke. I think it was probably that universal life Church where one click and you are “ordained”

Now, here are the questions.

1. Should a Catholic (or candidate)“preform” other marriages, (given that they are not a judge or such)
   2 Should a Catholic (or candidate) be ordained in another faith even if it is a technicality?
2. Can such an “ordination” be an obstacle to Confirmation?

He has already been ordained but the marriage has not happened yet.

1. No, this is making a mockery of the Catholic teachings on Marriage. It is also performing something that require faculties from the local bishop (and in almost every case ordination to Holy Orders). Impersonating clergy is a serious canonical offense.
2. While a candidate may have been “ordained” in another faith, they should not be seeking out that “ordination” while they are a candidate. This is a grave matter and should be discussed with the candidate and the leader of their RCIA group and possibly with their pastor as well.
3. It shows a lack of commitment to the Catholic faith and the formation that is ongoing in the RCIA process. Seeing how close we are to Easter now, if I was the RCIA leader I would speak with this individual and let them know that I am strongly leaning towards not recommending them for the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil. If I was the pastor I would speak with the individual and the RCIA leader but I was lean towards not accepting this person this year.

From the story as told it seems the person involved does not understand Church teaching and is a little immature. Maybe another year in RCIA would do them some good.

 

[EasterJoy]

With the exception of those in the legal profession performing civil marriages, which you noted, unordained Catholics may not perform weddings. Even those with sacred orders and the faculties to perform Catholic rites may not perform religious ceremonies forbidden by the Church.

No Catholic should ever accept or seek ordination of any kind from another denomination or religious sect. A legal construct of a “church”, formed simply in order to usurp the legitimate rights given by the state to ordained ministers is no different. That would be a grave sin that would need to be confessed before approaching the sacraments, including Confirmation, even if the so-called “faculties” so gained were never exercised.

This is not some joke, but rather a farce. It is all a lie in which your friend is trying to deceive the government about his religious beliefs in order to get himself real legal faculties he does not deserve. Don’t let your friend rationalize it any other way.

 

[promethius]

Ok, so without going into too much detail here are the circumstances.
A guy I know is in RCIA and is coming into the Church at Easter. His non Catholic friends have asked him to preform a marriage for them and he went online to be “ordained” which we all know is a joke. I think it was probably that universal life Church where one click and you are “ordained”

Now, here are the questions.

1. Should a Catholic (or candidate)“preform” other marriages, (given that they are not a judge or such)
   2 Should a Catholic (or candidate) be ordained in another faith even if it is a technicality?
2. Can such an “ordination” be an obstacle to Confirmation?

He has already been ordained but the marriage has not happened yet.

Whoa there, stop the show! Literally!

First, this would be a grave sin. Second, there is no such thing as a site where you can really become a state licensed minister with just a few mouse clicks. Should he try to contract a marraige using his online “ordination”, he will quickly find that he has no legal authority to do so and that said act could, depending on state laws, result in legal action taken against him.

If nothing else, he would be making a mockery of marriage…

 

[Iron_Donkey]

Ok, so without going into too much detail here are the circumstances.
A guy I know is in RCIA and is coming into the Church at Easter. His non Catholic friends have asked him to preform a marriage for them and he went online to be “ordained” which we all know is a joke. I think it was probably that universal life Church where one click and you are “ordained”

Now, here are the questions.

1. Should a Catholic (or candidate)“preform” other marriages, (given that they are not a judge or such)
   2 Should a Catholic (or candidate) be ordained in another faith even if it is a technicality?
2. Can such an “ordination” be an obstacle to Confirmation?

He has already been ordained but the marriage has not happened yet.

1. Very much no. It implies that the Catholic thinks he has authority that he does not have.
2. No, possibly even more vehemently than the first: such “ordination” implies, at the very least, that a person believes the faith of whatever he’s being ordained into, and that the person believes that via such ordination he is gaining some sort of spiritual something - most probably, authority. However, a Catholic cannot believe what universalists believe, and a Catholic should very much not try to receive spiritual stuff via non-Catholic “rituals.” (Even if the “ritual” is just clicking a button.)
3. I have no idea. It certainly cannot make it impossible, but it may indicate that it would be unwise for it to occur soon, as the person may either not take his faith seriously or may take his faith seriously but not yet know what that really means.

I can envision some college kid, especially one raised in the sort of non-denominational Christianity-is-what-you-make-it religious culture, thinking that it would just be a cool thing to do for his friends - the fact that they are contrary to the faith he is entering might not even cross his mind at first. In such a case, I could be sympathetic to the blunder.

But at the vary least, I would think he would have to renounce the “ordination” and would need a “this stuff is serious” talk. Perhaps he needs another year of RCIA - I have no idea, I think it probably depends on whether he was just careless and then realized he shouldn’t do this sort of thing, or if he was careless and then obstinate that it was ok. But again, I have no idea. A discussion between him, his RCIA leader, and possible his priest might answer that question.

 

[Leegal]

Ok, so without going into too much detail here are the circumstances.
A guy I know is in RCIA and is coming into the Church at Easter. His non Catholic friends have asked him to preform a marriage for them and he went online to be “ordained” which we all know is a joke. I think it was probably that universal life Church where one click and you are “ordained”

Now, here are the questions.

1. Should a Catholic (or candidate)“preform” other marriages, (given that they are not a judge or such)
   2 Should a Catholic (or candidate) be ordained in another faith even if it is a technicality?
2. Can such an “ordination” be an obstacle to Confirmation?

He has already been ordained but the marriage has not happened yet.

1. No. Never. Absolutely not.
2. No and he’s not yet received into the Church so he absolutely needs to speak with the priest. A Catholic cannot do this – dabble in other faiths or these “technicalities” and would have to confess, receive absolution and stop dabbling. It leads to problems. Your friend is a candidate and the priest needs to be informed. I gather he has a confessor, but has not yet been confirmed.
3. Maybe. He needs to speak with his priest and tell him what he’s done. He may not be ready if he’s still dabbling. I would think this would have been covered during RCIA.

 

[gman7224]

I would like to add one thing that I did not read in other posts. Many do not know this, but the Catholic Church accepts as sacraments the marriages and baptisms from other non-Catholic, Christian faiths… The Church does not differentiate between these other Christian faiths, so it would accept Christian baptisms and marriages that are performed by ministers ordained online. As evidence of this, if one is married by any Christian minister (including an online minister) and then divorces, they must go through the annulment process to remarry in the Catholic faith.

So you can see the Church takes these other non-Catholic, Christian sacraments seriously and so should you. I know several people who used online ministers because they wanted a friend to do the ceremony, or they didn’t want to go through pre-marriage counseling that the Catholic Church and most mainline Protestant churches require. I am amazed how a couple will spend hundreds of hours planning a wedding and reception that will last a few hours, but refuse to spend a moment of time planning the rest of their lives together.

Now, what if you have no intention of giving up your Catholic faith and your online ordination was just for fun? Then what does that say about any baptism or marriage you do? If you get ordained in another faith, you are accepting the teachings of that faith (how little they may be) and thus separating yourself from your Catholic faith, or any other faith for that matter. If you have already been ordained reconciliation is not a problem - just talk to a priest.
Deacon Gerry

 

[Sunbreak]

Second, there is no such thing as a site where you can really become a state licensed minister with just a few mouse clicks. Should he try to contract a marraige using his online “ordination”, he will quickly find that he has no legal authority to do so and that said act could, depending on state laws, result in legal action taken against him.

Actually, it depends on the state and some states do recognize marriages by those “ordained” through universal life church. For example, Washington State is one that accepts it.

 

[runningdude]

Firstly, it is simply ignorant to state that a wedding performed by a “Universal Life” minister is not legal. Some states would allow a potato to officiate.

Secondly, it is not acceptable for a Catholic to seek “ordination”, even if just to perform a wedding. It would not be problematic, however, to volunteer as a justice of the peace to perform a wedding for a non-Catholic couple. The catholic officiating should still use good judgment that the wedding couple are adequately prepared before agree to hold the ceremony.

 

[DeniseNY]

Zombie thread!