Sacramental marriage?

[Deltadeliquent]

Is a marriage that was made in the Anglican Church considered a sacramental marriage by the Catholic Church? Two baptised Anglicans. Anglican vicar.

 

[CB_Catholic]

Is a marriage that was made in the Anglican Church considered a sacramental marriage by the Catholic Church? Two baptised Anglicans. Anglican vicar.

Yes, because both were baptized. (This is presuming, as always, that the marriage is valid and there were no impediments).

 

[1ke]

Is a marriage that was made in the Anglican Church considered a sacramental marriage by the Catholic Church? Two baptised Anglicans. Anglican vicar.

Any valid marriage between two baptized people is also a sacrament.

A marriage between two baptized non-Catholics that has no impediments (such as a prior bond for example) would be a valid marriage.

 

[lutheran_farmer]

We just had our marriage blessed in the Catholic Church. We were married in the Lutheran church, which does not recognize it as a sacrament, so we went through a convalidation of our valid marriage to make it a sacramental marriage. A valid marriage not automatically a sacramental marriage.

 

[His_helpmeet]

We just had our marriage blessed in the Catholic Church. We were married in the Lutheran church, which does not recognize it as a sacrament, so we went through a convalidation of our valid marriage to make it a sacramental marriage. A valid marriage not automatically a sacramental marriage.

My understanding is that you should not have needed a convalidation IF you were validly married (i.e. neither of you was previously divorced) and IF you were not Catholic and/or had a dispensation to marry in the Lutheran church. If one of you was previously divorced, or if one or both parties were Catholic and did not have a dispensation to marry outside the Church, then your marriage would need to be convalidated. Non-Catholics are not bound by the marriage laws of the Church, specifically in that they do not need to be married before a Catholic priest or deacon. ANY marriage between two non-Catholic baptized people, if it is a valid marriage (i.e. there are no impediments and neither has been married before) is a sacramental marriage. Any marriage between two baptized Catholics, if it is a valid marriage, is a sacramental marriage. If at least one party is not baptized, and there are no impediments, it is a valid natural (but not a sacramental) marriage. If, at any point, any unbaptized parties become baptized, the marriage automatically becomes a sacramental marriage. So, for example, if two non-baptized people marry in a civil ceremony (assuming no impediments) and then both are subsequently baptized, the marriage becomes sacramental automatically on their being baptized. NO convalidation is necessary.

 

[1ke]

We just had our marriage blessed in the Catholic Church. We were married in the Lutheran church, which does not recognize it as a sacrament, so we went through a convalidation of our valid marriage to make it a sacramental marriage.

If you or your spouse was a Catholic, whether they were practicing or not at the time of your wedding, then convalidation would have been required if the marriage in the Lutheran church occurred without a dispensation.

If neither of you were, nor had ever been, Catholic then you had a valid marriage and it is not possible for a valid marriage to be convalidated.

A valid marriage not automatically a sacramental marriage.

I’m afraid you’ve gotten some wrong information. All valid marriages between the baptized are sacramental.

 

[1ke]

If one of you was previously divorced then your marriage would need to be convalidated.

Not exactly. If non-Catholics marry/divorce/remarry and the first marriage is determined to have been invalid, their subsequent marriage is valid. They would not convalidate anything, as their marriage is valid.

 

[felsguy]

She certainly may speak for herself but I seem to recall that just prior to being received into the Church at Easter Lutheran Farmer learned that she had actually been baptized Catholic as an infant. If so, her marriage would have needed to have been convalidated.

 

[lutheran_farmer]

Thanks, felsguy! (Good memory).

Neither of us had ever been married before and both of us were baptized (me as a Catholic and him as an Episcopal). I was confirmed this past Easter. I apologize if my reasoning was off in my first post. I thought that was the reason. I think if a priest offers a blessing, well, why refuse grace?

It was small and brief, but still an amazing service.

 

[1ke]

Thanks, felsguy! (Good memory).

Neither of us had ever been married before and both of us were baptized (me as a Catholic and him as an Episcopal). I was confirmed this past Easter. I apologize if my reasoning was off in my first post.

Yes, your situation is different than the question asked by the OP. The OP asked about two Anglicans. When two Anglicans marry, they marry validly. If one or both were to later enter the Church, there would be no convalidation, because a convaliation is the making valid of an invalid marriage.

I think if a priest offers a blessing, well, why refuse grace?

A blessing and a convalidation are different things.

Certainly, it is fine to receive a blessing from the priest, and it would be particularly appropriate to receive the nuptial blessing.

A convalidation is not a blessing, it is the new exchange of consent in the Catholic form to make an invalid marriage into a valid marriage. It is not possible for a couple who is validly married to convalidate their marriage, nor is it appropriate to suggest they should attempt to do so.

It was small and brief, but still an amazing service.

Congratulations and welcome home!

 

[Deltadeliquent]

I was asking about my husbands first marriage…

I am in the process of getting the documentation ready to have my marriage to him convalidated. I was just curious since I know that a valid marriage is not necessarily a sacramental marriage. I was sure of how the CC views the Church of England in that regard.

 

[1ke]

I was asking about my husbands first marriage…

I am in the process of getting the documentation ready to have my marriage to him convalidated. I was just curious since I know that a valid marriage is not necessarily a sacramental marriage. I was sure of how the CC views the Church of England in that regard.

You need to make an appointment with your pastor to discuss this. He has a prior bond. Therefore before convalidation could proceed, his first marriage would have to be determined to have been invalid (i.e. decree of nullity).

 

[His_helpmeet]

If they were both baptized in the Anglican church (either before or after the marriage) and the marriage is valid (as it is presumed to be until proven otherwise) it is a sacramental bond. The Church cannot dissolve such a marriage. He would have to pursue a declaration of nullity - the Petrine and Pauline privileges can only be used for non-sacramental marriages in very specific situations.

 

[Deltadeliquent]

I have talked to a pastor, and I understand “the rules”.

I was just curious if it was considered sacramental, since the Anglicans are sort of in a “little bit of Catholic, little bit of Protestant” land…

 

[His_helpmeet]

I have talked to a pastor, and I understand “the rules”.

I was just curious if it was considered sacramental, since the Anglicans are sort of in a “little bit of Catholic, little bit of Protestant” land…

As long as both parties have received a valid Trinitarian Baptism, the marriage is sacramental. The Church has a list of denominations who have a valid Trinitarian Baptism - anyone baptized in those denominations can have a sacramental marriage if he/she marries another person baptized in one of those denominations, or if both parties are baptized in one of those denominations at some point.