Whatever happened to public Banns of Matrimony?

[Lepanto]

I read somewhere that the Council of Trent mandated them to minimize illicit, scandalous, or forced/arranged marriages.

Has their use ever been formally abrogated?

 

[FrDavid96]

The banns themselves are no longer required in the Universal Law, however Canons 1066, 67 do require a diligent investigation, and banns are one of the ways this might be accomplished (the bishops’ conferences can establish norms).

 

[anon77300002]

I was about to say that the banns are still read in our parish. But now that I think about it, I can’t remember hearing any for quite some time now.

 

[AJV]

I’ve usually seen Bann notices posted just outside the church door instead which usually go something like this

N. son of N. (father) and N. (mother) from the Parish of N. in N. (city, country) and N. daughter of N. (father) and N. (mother) from the Parish of N. in N. (city, country)

intend to marry according to the rite of our holy Mother the Church . So if any parishioners know of the impediment of consanguinity (etc., etc.) or any other impediments, they are bound to report the same to the parish priest at the earliest.

[All meetings shall be kept strictly confidential]

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Because of the mobility in today’s world reading the banns in one or two parishes no longer suffices to ensure adequate investigation of the freedom of the couple to marry. In most places this has been replaced by requiring affidavits from witnesses [often the parents] to attest to the couple’s freedom to marry.

 

[ChristinaM]

I have seen banns published in a church bulletin only once or twice, and these were very traditional parishes. When I was married my parish never did that, so I think they don’t do it in my diocese.

 

[LilyM]

Funny … the last time I remember hearing 'em was when my oldest sister got married back in '83 (was that REALLY 25 years ago? )

 

[Phemie]

I’ve worked on the parish bulletin for the past 10 years and in that time we’ve only published banns once – at the request of a parish in another province.

The couple’s name and that of their parents elicited no spark of recognition from anyone so as a means of determining freedom to marry it was pretty much a useless exercise.

 

[Joannm]

We do publish the banns but it mainly serves as a wedding announcment these days. Once we did get a call from someone saying the groom was not free to marry but would not give her name or any details. We contacted the couple and the priest went over all the paperwork with them. We also called the chancery and they said since there was no evidence as to what this woman was saying was true, and given that she refused to leave her name or any information, we went ahead with the wedding. Could have been a jealous X girlfriend trying to start trouble.

 

[Chatter163]

Some parishes include banns in their bulletins, but in a small section that few parishioners tend to notice–looks like an advertisement to them.

 

[FrDavid96]

Before I stopped publishing them (took a while to realize they weren’t required anymore in this diocese), I would simply print “Banns of marriage (1, 2 or 3) are announced for X and Y.” Nothing more.

Most people thought that they were in fact wedding announcements. I’ve known more than a few people who took offense at reading “if anyone has any reason…” and realized that those words aren’t actually necessary (in fact redundant and repetative) since that’s the definition of banns.

 

[porthos11]

In the Philippines, the banns were always read after the principal Mass for three consecutive Sundays.

 

[Phemie]

In the Philippines, the banns were always read after the principal Mass for three consecutive Sundays.

It’s funny, I just remembered that those of my parents’ generation used to try to go to another parish on the Sundays when their banns were read in church.

 

[LilyM]

It’s funny, I just remembered that those of my parents’ generation used to try to go to another parish on the Sundays when their banns were read in church.

Why? Were they worried someone might stand up in church there and then and object or something?

 

[Phemie]

Why? Were they worried someone might stand up in church there and then and object or something?

No, it was all about not wanting to be singled out in church.

In my mom & dad’s case people could have gone to the priest and said there was an impediment to their marriage as they were too closely related. They shared a grandmother and the first time their pastor requested a dispensation the bishop refused to grant it. Fr. didn’t accept the refusal and went to bat for them. The dispensation was eventually granted. They’d been married 33 years when Mom died in 1985.

 

[zagjames]

My fiance and I are assuming when our wedding gets closer there will be a banns published in the parish bulitan, but… I dont know if our paish does that because there has only been one or two weddings there in the last several years, and none since our new priest arrived 2 years ago.

 

[lizaanne]

Our banns were posted but not read. I save them in my wedding memory box.

~Liza

 

[solayan]

My parish bulletins publishes banns pretty regularly, but until now I didn’t know they were more than an announcement of upcoming weddings

I learn something new every time I come here.

I seem to recall our pastor drawing attention to the banns in his announcements once or twice, but in the context of praying for the engaged couples, not asking if anybody knew of impediments.

 

[Sarabande]

My parish bulletins publishes banns pretty regularly, but until now I didn’t know they were more than an announcement of upcoming weddings

I have to blush as well. I thought they were wedding announcements in the bulletin until read about them on these forums. The bulletins never referred to them as banns. I actually can’t remember what they call them. I’d only hear about the “banns of marriage” in all the late 18th and 19th century English novels I’d read… and they were usually for Anglican weddings. I never even put two and two together that this would be done in Catholic weddings as well.

 

[Phemie]

I have to blush as well. I thought they were wedding announcements in the bulletin until read about them on these forums. The bulletins never referred to them as banns. I actually can’t remember what they call them. I’d only hear about the “banns of marriage” in all the late 18th and 19th century English novels I’d read… and they were usually for Anglican weddings. I never even put two and two together that this would be done in Catholic weddings as well.

In some jurisdictions (Ontario, Canada comes to mind) having the banns published in Church (as long as you are a regular parishioner) means you don’t need to get a marriage license.

From the Province of Ontario Marriage Act

Publication of banns

1. (1) Where a marriage is to be solemnized under the authority of the publication of banns, the intention to marry shall be proclaimed openly in an audible voice during divine service,

(a) where the parties are in the habit of attending worship at the same church, being within Canada, at that church; or

(b) where the parties are in the habit of attending worship in different churches, being within Canada, in each such church. R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3, s. 17 (1).