Will It be a Sacrament?

[Old_AltarBoy]

My Catholic son is getting married in California in an outdoor setting. The Officiant is listed as a “retired Catholic Priest, inactive.” I couldn’t find any information that would indicate he was Laicized. He identifies himself as a retired Catholic Priest, yet he seems only to be around 55 to 60 years of age and in good health. Thus the ‘red flags’ on my part. Assuming he is retired and wasn’t laicized, would my son and his Catholic Bride recieve the Sacrament of matrimony under these conditions?

 

[Eilish_Maura]

My Catholic son is getting married in California in an outdoor setting. The Officiant is listed as a “retired Catholic Priest, inactive.” I couldn’t find any information that would indicate he was Laicized. He identifies himself as a retired Catholic Priest, yet he seems only to be around 55 to 60 years of age and in good health. Thus the ‘red flags’ on my part. Assuming he is retired and wasn’t laicized, would my son and his Catholic Bride recieve the Sacrament of matrimony under these conditions?

Isn’t this something that your son and his bride should be looking into?

Have you asked them about this celebrant since this is a specific situation?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

My Catholic son is getting married in California in an outdoor setting. The Officiant is listed as a “retired Catholic Priest, inactive.” I couldn’t find any information that would indicate he was Laicized. He identifies himself as a retired Catholic Priest, yet he seems only to be around 55 to 60 years of age and in good health. Thus the ‘red flags’ on my part. Assuming he is retired and wasn’t laicized, would my son and his Catholic Bride recieve the Sacrament of matrimony under these conditions?

If they completed all the premarriage requirements for the diocese where the Marriage is taking place. If they both have their respective pastors permission and the Bishops permission has been received for the location and the priest witnessing the Marriage is approved by the Bishop to witness a Marriage in his diocese. A lot of IF’s.

 

[Joannm]

Sounds like a “rent a priest.” Usually someone who has had his faculties removed or has left the priesthood. Find out what church the marriage is being registered at.

 

[1ke]

My Catholic son is getting married in California in an outdoor setting. The Officiant is listed as a “retired Catholic Priest, inactive.” I couldn’t find any information that would indicate he was Laicized. He identifies himself as a retired Catholic Priest, yet he seems only to be around 55 to 60 years of age and in good health. Thus the ‘red flags’ on my part. Assuming he is retired and wasn’t laicized, would my son and his Catholic Bride recieve the Sacrament of matrimony under these conditions?

In a word-- NO.

This rent a priest left the priesthood either with or without the Church’s permission.

Your son and his bride will be violating Canon Law by attempting this marriage and it will be invalid.

It would be very rare, indeed, for the Bishop to grant a dispensation for them to be married in an outside ceremony by a priest who’s been either booted or left the Catholic Church. I’d say the odds are about 1 in a trillion.

But, you should ask them if they’ve completed the required pre-marriage preparation at their parish and gotten a dispensation from Catholic Form.

Why on earth would they attempt to marry outside with a rent-a-priest?

 

[Joysong]

The Officiant is listed as a “retired Catholic Priest, inactive.” I couldn’t find any information that would indicate he was Laicized. He identifies himself as a retired Catholic Priest, yet he seems only to be around 55 to 60 years of age and in good health.

Seems to be only 55-60? I know a priest in our diocese that seemed to be quite young when he served us in his 70’s during our pastor’s absence One would never guess his age! Although he is now 82, I believe, and still assists us, he seems much younger and the only telltale sign of advanced aging is his eyesight is failing. And yes, he’s listed as ‘retired.’

Before you alarm yourself, wouldn’t it be best to get more information and have a little more trust? You never know the ins and outs of why he’s retired, if in fact he is only 55-60. He may have very poor health and is not capable of serving in full time parish ministry, but has enough strength to assist with other liturgies on occasion.

A simple phone call to the diocese should resolve your misgivings.
I would not put my entire faith in what casual posters tell you on an internet forum, for opinions will have a very wide range all the way from negative to positive. How does that help your situation?

 

[anamchara]

In a word-- NO.

This rent a priest left the priesthood either with or without the Church’s permission.

 

[anamchara]

Before you alarm yourself, wouldn’t it be best to get more information and have a little more trust? You never know the ins and outs of why

 

[Phemie]

We are on the same page the other thing I’d add is I was under the impression, once a priest always a priest. Not that I’m advocating using a priest who have been defrocked. It may not make for a valid marriage but…

 

[Seatuck]

My Catholic son is getting married in California in an outdoor setting. The Officiant is listed as a “retired Catholic Priest, inactive.” I couldn’t find any information that would indicate he was Laicized. He identifies himself as a retired Catholic Priest, yet he seems only to be around 55 to 60 years of age and in good health. Thus the ‘red flags’ on my part. Assuming he is retired and wasn’t laicized, would my son and his Catholic Bride recieve the Sacrament of matrimony under these conditions?

You need more information. Are marriages allowed outside in this diocese? Is this a priest in good standing with the church? Call up the diocese and find out.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

You need more information. Are marriages allowed outside in this diocese? Is this a priest in good standing with the church? Call up the diocese and find out.

This would be your best bet. If they say, “Father who?” or worse, “oh, Father That, HIM!” then you have a puzzler. If they say, “Oh yeh, Father This, sure” then put your mind at rest.

 

[drafdog]

You can always invite another priest or a deacon to attend. The bride and groom administer the sacrament to one another; the clergyman is there only as an official witness. It has not always been necessary to have a clergyman present. This is only a rule of a few hundred years standing.

Matthew

 

[1ke]

You can always invite another priest or a deacon to attend. The bride and groom administer the sacrament to one another; the clergyman is there only as an official witness. It has not always been necessary to have a clergyman present. This is only a rule of a few hundred years standing.

Matthew

This will NOT make an invalid marriage valid. If they marry outside Catholic form, it’s invalid no matter if the Pope were in the audience.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

This will NOT make an invalid marriage valid. If they marry outside Catholic form, it’s invalid no matter if the Pope were in the audience.

She’s right, you know. In order for this whole production to be kosher Catholic, there needs to be dispensation for the place, for starters. Most bishops will not give such a dispensation, even in California. The priest in question needs to have a celebret, and needs to have faculties from his diocese, and usually permission from the diocese in which he is officiating.

That is why the OP, if he has lingering doubts, should call the chancery and ask about Father Who. What the OP does with the information at that point, should he find out Father Who is not permitted to run around officiating in the diocese, is the OP’s lookout. But at least the question would be answered.

It also occured to me that the OP could simply google the priest in question, using quotes. If he turns up as a resident at some parish, or he turns up at an abbey or some such, well and good. If he turns up on a rent-a-priest site, well…at least the question is answered.

 

[kage_ar]

He is your son, ask him if he has recieved the proper dispensation.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

He is your son, ask him if he has recieved the proper dispensation.

I think the OP is afraid to ask, but afraid not to ask.

 

[Old_AltarBoy]

Based on some of the replies I received I guess I should have added more information to my query.

My son and future daughter -in law are both Catholic and have been baptized and confirmed.

My son is returning from Korea after he finishes is tour witht he U.S. Army and his future wife lives in the U.S. She was raised by her grandparents after the tragic death of her parents. Her grandmother recently passed away and she takes care of her elderly grandfather. My wife and I are involved in the wedding planning because my future daughter doesn’t have any other woman or parental figures in her life and she wants us involved. My son is taking pre marriage counselling from a Catholic chaplin and my future daughter is attending sessions at her Catholic College. We are working with the diocese on obtaining permission to have the marriage performed outdoors. While disappointed I am not judgmental as to their reasoning for wanting an outdoors wedding; their Catholic cousins were all married on the family farm; different diocese, but same Catholic Church

My son asked me to arrange for the officiant. That is why I posed the question

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Based on some of the replies I received I guess I should have added more information to my query.

My son and future daughter -in law are both Catholic and have been baptized and confirmed.

My son is returning from Korea after he finishes is tour witht he U.S. Army and his future wife lives in the U.S. She was raised by her grandparents after the tragic death of her parents. Her grandmother recently passed away and she takes care of her elderly grandfather. My wife and I are involved in the wedding planning because my future daughter doesn’t have any other woman or parental figures in her life and she wants us involved. My son is taking pre marriage counselling from a Catholic chaplin and my future daughter is attending sessions at her Catholic College. We are working with the diocese on obtaining permission to have the marriage performed outdoors. While disappointed I am not judgmental as to their reasoning for wanting an outdoors wedding; their Catholic cousins were all married on the family farm; different diocese, but same Catholic Church

My son asked me to arrange for the officiant. That is why I posed the question

Most likely the Sacrament of Marriage will not be permitted to take place out of doors. With all the weddign planning you should be coordinating with the Pastor of her parish or the parish within which the Sacrament may be celebrated. It is totally up to the pastor of the parish where the Sacrament is celebrated, her pastor, as well as the Bishop, if Fr. X is permitted to witness the Sacrament or not and where. So my advise is DO NOT plan this without consulting the Pastor(s) first.

 

[1ke]

Based on some of the replies I received I guess I should have added more information to my query.

My son and future daughter -in law are both Catholic and have been baptized and confirmed.

My son is returning from Korea after he finishes is tour witht he U.S. Army and his future wife lives in the U.S. She was raised by her grandparents after the tragic death of her parents. Her grandmother recently passed away and she takes care of her elderly grandfather. My wife and I are involved in the wedding planning because my future daughter doesn’t have any other woman or parental figures in her life and she wants us involved. My son is taking pre marriage counselling from a Catholic chaplin and my future daughter is attending sessions at her Catholic College. We are working with the diocese on obtaining permission to have the marriage performed outdoors. While disappointed I am not judgmental as to their reasoning for wanting an outdoors wedding; their Catholic cousins were all married on the family farm; different diocese, but same Catholic Church

My son asked me to arrange for the officiant. That is why I posed the question

It is unlikely that you will obtain a dispensation for an outdoor wedding.

And, as for the officiant-- you need to get one who is a priest in good standing in the diocese in which the wedding will take place.

Why would you contact a “retired priest, inactive” about whom you have doubts in the first place? Why not the priest in the bride’s home parish? Or your son’s? Or your own?

Anyway-- you need to work with a Catholic parish in the diocese and not go out on your own on this. If you want this other priest-- then if this other priest is retired from a diocese he should be able to provide documentation from his bishop that he is in good standing-- this will have to be given to the diocese in which he is performing the marriage. Also, if he’s from another state, you need to make sure he can officiate from a civil law standpoint.