Required Sacraments for Holy Matrimony

[kpeterma]

In order for the Catholic Church to recognize a marriage as valid (and/or sacramental), I understand that it depends on whether or not the ceremony took place between two BAPTIZED Catholics (practicing or not), within the Church or outside of the Church; if outside the Church, with or without a formal dispensation. My question is, are there other sacraments (such as confirmation) that are necessary in order for the marriage to be considered valid?

EXAMPLE: Two (baptized) Catholics (non-practicing, but not professed to another faith) marry at the courthouse without a dispensation from the Church. They have a child and wish to have the child baptized Catholic. A priest tells them the civil marriage must be co-validated (blessed) before the child can be baptized. At least one of the Catholics was not confirmed in the Catholic Church (which the priest obviously did not check the Baptismal Records before performing the co-validation. Both parties had moved to the area from out-of-state as adults.)

It may be possible that one of the parties may have been lying about being Catholic in the first place in order to appease the Catholic spouse.

Does this marriage fall under “Lack of Form” due to the lack of Sacrament of Confirmation?

 

[LDavidH]

The catechism is very clear here:

1625 The parties to a marriage covenant are a baptized man and woman, free to contract marriage, who freely express their consent; “to be free” means: - not being under constraint; - not impeded by any natural or ecclesiastical law.

My wife and I were married in a valid sacrament, I only baptised and she confirmed. I was confirmed later. The validity of the sacrament was based on the fact that we were both baptised.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

In order for the Catholic Church to recognize a marriage as valid (and/or sacramental), I understand that it depends on whether or not the ceremony took place between two BAPTIZED Catholics (practicing or not), within the Church or outside of the Church; if outside the Church, with or without a formal dispensation. My question is, are there other sacraments (such as confirmation) that are necessary in order for the marriage to be considered valid?

EXAMPLE: Two (baptized) Catholics (non-practicing, but not professed to another faith) marry at the courthouse without a dispensation from the Church. They have a child and wish to have the child baptized Catholic. A priest tells them the civil marriage must be co-validated (blessed) before the child can be baptized. At least one of the Catholics was not confirmed in the Catholic Church (which the priest obviously did not check the Baptismal Records before performing the co-validation. Both parties had moved to the area from out-of-state as adults.)

It may be possible that one of the parties may have been lying about being Catholic in the first place in order to appease the Catholic spouse.

Does this marriage fall under “Lack of Form” due to the lack of Sacrament of Confirmation?

Baptism would be the only Sacrament for validity in receiving the Sacrament of Marriage. However licitness may require the remaining two Sacraments if Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Of course before a person can fruitfully receive the Sacrament of Marriage one would also most likely need access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

 

[ThuribleGuy45]

Is it not true that with a “Disparity of Cult” dispensation from the local Ordinary, a valid (but not sacramental) marriage can be contracted in church between a baptized Catholic and a non-Christian?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Is it not true that with a “Disparity of Cult” dispensation from the local Ordinary, a valid (but not sacramental) marriage can be contracted in church between a baptized Catholic and a non-Christian?

A Marriage between a Catholic and a unBaptized person is invalid by law unless a Bishop dispenses from the law. With the dispensation the Marriage is valid but not Sacramental.

 

[1ke]

In order for the Catholic Church to recognize a marriage as valid (and/or sacramental), I understand that it depends on whether or not the ceremony took place between two BAPTIZED Catholics (practicing or not), within the Church or outside of the Church; if outside the Church, with or without a formal dispensation.

You’ve asked several questions rolled into one. First, for a marriage to be valid for a Catholic the marriage must be in the Catholic form, or a dispensation must be received to marry outside the Catholic form. A different dispensation must also be given for marrying a non-Catholic or a non-baptized person.

This is true whether it is two Catholics marrying, or a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic.

A sacrament can only occur between two baptized persons. So, two Catholics or a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic.

My question is, are there other sacraments (such as confirmation) that are necessary in order for the marriage to be considered valid?

Under typical circumstances, Confirmation is required-- although it’s not an absolute requirement. Here’s canon law:

Can. 1065 §1. Catholics who have not yet received the sacrament of confirmation are to receive it before they are admitted to marriage if it can be done without grave inconvenience.

§2. To receive the sacrament of marriage fruitfully, spouses are urged especially to approach the sacraments of penance and of the Most Holy Eucharist.

EXAMPLE: Two (baptized) Catholics (non-practicing, but not professed to another faith) marry at the courthouse without a dispensation from the Church.

They have a child and wish to have the child baptized Catholic. A priest tells them the civil marriage must be co-validated (blessed) before the child can be baptized.

This would be atypical. If there is a well-founded hope the child will be raise catholic, the priest should not delay the child’s baptism.

At least one of the Catholics was not confirmed in the Catholic Church (which the priest obviously did not check the Baptismal Records before performing the co-validation. Both parties had moved to the area from out-of-state as adults.)

It may be possible that one of the parties may have been lying about being Catholic in the first place in order to appease the Catholic spouse.

Does this marriage fall under “Lack of Form” due to the lack of Sacrament of Confirmation?

Confirmation is not strictly required for validity.

All of these other things are extraneous and each one may or may not impact the validity of the marriage. You can’t speculate so much with so many variables.