What constitutes a sacramental marriage?

[pepper89]

I know that if you are “Catholic” that you must marry in the Catholic church or get permission from a Catholic Authority to marry in another church, correct? Ok, so then if a “Catholic” marries in another church, say Lutheran, without permission,then in the eyes of the Catholic church is this NOT a sacramental marriage? Or is it?
The reason I ask is that I know if someone that is non-catholic wishes to marry in the catholic church they must get an annulment because their prior marriage IS considered to be sacramental even though it wasnt in the Catholic church. So therefore, why is it that Catholics cannot marry in another church if marriages in other churches is considered to be sacramental in other instances? Hopefully that made sense…

THANK YOU

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear P,

For a Catholic to have a valid marriage he or she must marry through the Catholic Church. To have a valid AND sacramental marriage, both parties must have been baptized. If a Catholic marries a non-baptized person through the Catholic Church, the marriage is valid, but not sacramental. If the non-baptized person later is baptized, then the marriage automatically becomes sacramental.

But if a Catholic marries outside of the Catholic Church without permission, then the marriage is invalid and not sacramental—regardless of whether the other party is baptized or not.

The Catholic Church does recognize as valid and sacramental the marriages of non-Catholic Christians. They are not required to be married in the Catholic Church. It is understandable that the Church holds Catholics to a higher standard when one considers that it has a much more exalted understanding of marriage. Most non-Catholic Christian churches to not believe marriage to be a sacrament, for example.

It might be noted that the Catholic Church does not recognize the second marriages of non-Catholic Christians. It takes the words of Jesus against divorce very seriously.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.