What Documents are required?

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Heart_Of_Mary

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I would appreciate it if someone could tell me what documents - if any - are required to get a marriage blessed by the church? Specifically in a situation where the woman has been married and widowed twice and her current marriage is to a non Catholic. Would death certificates be needed? What about the cureent marriage certificate? I am having a disagreement of sorts on this with a friend of mine and would like some help…Please don’t say “ask a priest” - she will not approach a priest at this time (don’t as me why though…)
Thanks!
KB
 
Hi.

My situation is this. I want my marriage blessed in the Church. I
was previously divorced, ( that marriage was also to a non Catholic) and remarried a non-Catholic in 1999. I need from my former marriage, my civil marriage registration, a copy of my divorce certificate. From my current marraige, I need only my marriage certificate, bvut I also have a copy of my civil marriage registration as well. I need my Catholic baptismal certificate as well. As for the death certificates, it might be a good idea to provide them. I can only tell you of what I need, but we live in Canada. I do not know what it isa like where your at, if whether a different country has different requirements in order to get a marriage blessed. I know you said, don’t tell me to aska priest, but that is actually sound advice. Could you not ask yourself? I can only tell you what is required for me to get my marriage blessed. The non Catholic spouse has to agree to get the marriage blessed. Without it as I was told, it would not happen. I hope this has been of help to you. God bless you!
 
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I could ask a priest…I appreciate the time you took to reply. 🙂

HOM
 
Your welcome! I wish you and your friend all the best! God bless you! 🙂
 
Heart Of Mary:
I would appreciate it if someone could tell me what documents - if any - are required to get a marriage blessed by the church? Specifically in a situation where the woman has been married and widowed twice and her current marriage is to a non Catholic. Would death certificates be needed? What about the cureent marriage certificate? I am having a disagreement of sorts on this with a friend of mine and would like some help…Please don’t say “ask a priest” - she will not approach a priest at this time (don’t as me why though…)
Thanks!
KB
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A paperwork “trail” so to speak. Baptism certificates. Her Baptism certificate if obtained again today should also show the two Marriages. If not the two Marriage certificates and the two Death Certificates. A current Marriage Licsence would also be required. The person she intends to Marry would also need to verify that he is free to Marry.
 
Dear KB,

In order to convalidate your present civil marriage in the Catholic Church you and your present spouse must be able to prove that both of you are free to marry. That is, neither of you should have a former spouse who is living at this time.

Since you have been widowed twice, the priest would only need to see the death certificates of your two previous marriages and a current copy of your baptismal certificate (which can be requested from your church of baptism) prior to making arrangements for the convalidation. The death certificates and baptismal certificate are documentary proof that you are indeed free to marry in the Church even though you are in a present civil marriage. All of this can be handled at the parish level.

If your present spouse has been married before, any previous marriage of his must be addressed by your diocesan tribunal before any convalidation takes place. Your priest should be able to guide him through this process if this is needed.

Also, it should be remembered that a convalidation is a giving of a new consent. It is not just a “blessing”. Your parish priest should conduct some amount of marriage preparation and arrange for a dispensation/permission (since you will be marrying a non-Catholic) before arranging for this beautiful sacrament.

My best wishes to you both. I spent many years working in a Tribunal so I hope that my explanation isn’t too technical. God bless you!

Therese
 
Thank you for the reply Therese -

it is not me - it is my friend - and I will pass on the information.

HOM (KB)
 
<<Also, it should be remembered that a convalidation is a giving of a new consent. It is not just a “blessing”. Your parish priest should conduct some amount of marriage preparation and arrange for a dispensation/permission (since you will be marrying a non-Catholic) before arranging for this beautiful sacrament.>>

Marriage preparation after 20 years of marriage and a couple of teenagers??:confused: Seems a little bit late for that…

HOM
 
Dear KB,

Sorry for the mix-up in referring to you rather than your friend.

Yes, marriage preparation should be done because it is a preparation for a sacrament, just as one would prepare for Confirmation even if he/she were 50 years old. This preparation would in no way imply that your friends do not know anything about marriage even though they have been married a long time. The sacrament of Matrimony is a wellspring of graces and the preparation should be in that light. Most priests that I have worked with have experience with situations like this and are very sensitive to the religious practice of the non-Catholic as well as the length of marriage to be convalidated.

I hope all works out well for them.

In Christ,
Therese
 
Heart Of Mary said:
<<Also, it should be remembered that a convalidation is a giving of a new consent. It is not just a “blessing”. Your parish priest should conduct some amount of marriage preparation and arrange for a dispensation/permission (since you will be marrying a non-Catholic) before arranging for this beautiful sacrament.>>

Marriage preparation after 20 years of marriage and a couple of teenagers??:confused: Seems a little bit late for that…

HOM
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When I had my marriage convalidated, Father gently explained to us that in the eyes of the church we would be married at the time of the convalidation and prior to that we were considered unmarried. So the Cana prep was necessary as we entered into the *sacrament *of marriage. The preparation they use for convalidation, at least in my case, focuses a lot more on the spiritual side of things rather than on the day to day living stuff they would with new couples. (I’m sure they have that down by now) If he’s a good priest he’ll talk with them about not using artificial contraception as well. Even if they have been together this long.

And oh yeah - she’ll need baptism certificates, death and marriage certificates, the whole nine. It needs to be all properly recorded.
 
You will also need to bring in two witnesses for each of you. 2 for the bride, 2 for the groom who before a priest or a deacon , and the priest/deacon will then ask them to attest that you two may be married in the church. These people must have known you through your adult life. Frequently, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles etc are asked to act as witness for the affadavits that the ministers will complete. It can be done at any parish in the diocese, they do not have to have it done only at the church where the marriage is to take place. One consideration, call for an appt. with the deacon or priest at least several days ahead of the preferred appt.
 
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stbruno:
You will also need to bring in two witnesses for each of you. 2 for the bride, 2 for the groom who before a priest or a deacon , and the priest/deacon will then ask them to attest that you two may be married in the church. These people must have known you through your adult life. Frequently, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles etc are asked to act as witness for the affadavits that the ministers will complete. It can be done at any parish in the diocese, they do not have to have it done only at the church where the marriage is to take place. One consideration, call for an appt. with the deacon or priest at least several days ahead of the preferred appt.
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I am not aware of any such requirement that would apply by virtue of the universal law of the Church. It is only used “when necessary” to establish the freedom of the parties according to the complementary legislation of the USCCB on canon 1067.

(See usccb.org/norms/1067.htm for the more exact details. ) Otherwise such affidavits of other parties would not be used in the prenuptial investigation, and the documents mentioned by others would be sufficient. Some dioceses use similar statements by parents in assessing a marriage proposed by minors.

Perhaps this notion of statements by 2 witnesses for each party - and who had known them all their lives - may be a reference to particular law in a given diocese for all cases or for special cases. St Bruno, might that be what you have in mind?
 
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