Question about valid / sacramental marriage

[amrin]

Hello!

Please keep in mind I’m not from the US. Here in Portugal, when two people want to get married, firstly they have to go a justice of peace and sign the marriage license in which they can discriminate if they are also having a religious ceremony. This is because the church needs to know if the marriage has been made legal. If the ceremony is not being held you just sign the papers and you are married legally.

I’ve been reading the Code of Canon Law but I’m still a bit confused. If a baptized Catholic marries to a non baptized person without the religious ceremony, my understanding is that the marriage is not valid because the Catholic party didn’t marry in the church. But my question is if the non baptized person becomes a catholic, can the marriage ever be sacramental (through a convalidation or radical sanation)?

Many thanks!

 

[dans0622]

Hello,

I’ve been reading the Code of Canon Law but I’m still a bit confused…

How could that be?

… But my question is if the non baptized person becomes a catholic, can the marriage ever be sacramental (through a convalidation or radical sanation)? …

Certainly, it can. The “convalidation” would make the marriage valid and since both parties are baptized, the marriage would be sacramental.

Were you thinking that this would not be possible?

Dan

 

[1ke]

If a baptized Catholic marries to a non baptized person without the religious ceremony, my understanding is that the marriage is not valid because the Catholic party didn’t marry in the church. But my question is if the non baptized person becomes a catholic, can the marriage ever be sacramental (through a convalidation or radical sanation)?

To add to what Dan has already said, even if the non-baptized person remains a non-baptized person, the Catholic party can still reconcile with the church and establish a valid marriage through convalidation or sanation in order to resume the sacramental life.

There is no obligation for the non-Catholic to convert. But there is an obligation for the Catholic contract marriage in the Catholic form or be dispensed from form and also to receive a dispensation from disparity of cult to marry an unbaptized person. If they did not do this, they can go to their pastor and take care of it through convalidation.