requirements for marriage

[ursula1]

My daughter, while teaching English in a refugee camp in Africa, met and married her husband in a civil ceremony so that she could sponser him to our country. They wish to have their marriage blessed as soon as he arrives. This is very important to them, and he also wants a Nuptial Mass, which is the norm in Africa but not necessarily in North America. He does not know where he was baptized and has no papers. He definitely knows that he is a baptized Catholic and attends Mass in the refugee camp. Amazingly, he seems to be well catechised, considering the upheavels in his life.

If proof of baptism is required for marriage, what do they do about the situation?

 

[YoungTradCath]

If there’s no proof, they might take his word for it. If they don’t, I’m sure a conditional baptism can be done, which is nothing out of the ordinary. Ask your priest.

 

[1ke]

They needn’t talk to a priest.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Worst comes to worst they can do a conditional baptism. However, normally they just get a couple of people to sign testimony that they witnessed or know that the individual was baptized.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I can only go off what you wrote in your OP. Did your daughter only marry this man so he could get a passport for your country? That is what it sounds like in your post and of course this is something that happens often.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I can only go off what you wrote in your OP. Did your daughter only marry this man so he could get a passport for your country? That is what it sounds like in your post and of course this is something that happens often.

I don’t think that’s the situation. A religious marriage is not required to get him in the country. A civil marriage does that, and they’ve got that already.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I don’t think that’s the situation.

That’s why I’ve posed a question rather than draw an inference. I am seeking to clarify what the OP meant in the first sentence of that post. There’s already an issue here over a civil marriage rather than a canonical one. We have to infer there was no dispensation as the OP asks about convalidation. The actual words are “They wish to have their marriage blessed …”, which is what a lot of Catholics call convalidation.

 

[Will_S]

I hope both your daughter and the young man are fully aware that they are not actually married. Otherwise they are just making things more difficult as far as the Church is concerned.

The seems to me that the easiest thing for them to do is simply to marry in the presence of the Catholic priest there in the refugee camp.

 

[joanofarc2008]

I hope both your daughter and the young man are fully aware that they are not actually married. Otherwise they are just making things more difficult as far as the Church is concerned.

The seems to me that the easiest thing for them to do is simply to marry in the presence of the Catholic priest there in the refugee camp.

This would be if there is a priest in the refugee camp. Also there may still be some paperwork issues with that in the Church considering it is a refugee camp.

 

[Phemie]

I hope both your daughter and the young man are fully aware that they are not actually married. Otherwise they are just making things more difficult as far as the Church is concerned.

The seems to me that the easiest thing for them to do is simply to marry in the presence of the Catholic priest there in the refugee camp.

Unless there was no possibility of being married by a priest for a prolonged period of time.

Can. 1116 §1. If a person competent to assist according to the norm of law cannot be present or approached without grave inconvenience, those who intend to enter into a true marriage can contract it validly and licitly before witnesses only:
1/ in danger of death;
2/ outside the danger of death provided that it is prudently foreseen that the situation will continue for a month.

 

[Will_S]

Unless there was no possibility of being married by a priest for a prolonged period of time.

The original poster mentioned that the young man attends Mass in the refugee camp, thus there is a priest available.

 

[EasterJoy]

The original poster mentioned that the young man attends Mass in the refugee camp, thus there is a priest available.

I had friends from college, one from the US and one from Mexico, who were married in a civil ceremony in the US prior to flying down south for their church wedding in Mexico. They got married in the US because it would make dealing with the government red tape about 100 times easier if they had an American marriage certificate. They were married by a priest in Mexico because that was where the families wanted them to marry: that is, in the bride’s home church. They didn’t consider themselves really married until the church wedding, but only still engaged.

There are many countries where the civil wedding and the church wedding are two totally separate things. It is not against Church law to have this arrangement, provided the couple waits to consummate the marriage until after the marriage is blessed.

 

[Will_S]

I had friends from college, one from the US and one from Mexico, who were married in a civil ceremony in the US prior to flying down south for their church wedding in Mexico. They got married in the US because it would make dealing with the government red tape about 100 times easier if they had an American marriage certificate. They were married by a priest in Mexico because that was where the families wanted them to marry: that is, in the bride’s home church. They didn’t consider themselves really married until the church wedding, but only still engaged.

There are many countries where the civil wedding and the church wedding are two totally separate things. It is not against Church law to have this arrangement, provided the couple waits to consummate the marriage until after the marriage is blessed.

Agree completely with this.

 

[ursula1]

Sorry if I was unclear about my daughter’s situation. Just to clarify: She and her husband had a civil marriage ceremony only because they wanted to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony here with our family and any of his that may be able to come from overseas. However, the civil marriage did enable her to sponser him under family sponsership and he will be here within the month. The question regarding a baptismal certificate was answered however, and I am sure our Pastor will gladly perform a conditional Baptism to ensure all is well and good prior to receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony. (Our Pastor has been away on a pilgrimage, so we have not yet had a chance to discuss this matter with him, although he is aware of the Civil marriage and is ready to bless this marriage as soon as possible.)

Thanks to all who responded to my question

God Bless!