Will my marriage be recognized by the Catholic Church?

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sabrinaofmn

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My husband and I have been married only to each other for eight years. We were married in my parents home by my husbands father, a Presbyterian minister. We also have one son as the result of our union, and we are trying for more children. We were both Christian when we married, but I was not baptized due to ignorance. I was baptized by a Methodist minister a couple of years after we were married. Will my marriage be recognized by the Catholic Church? Do I need to do anything else? Does a priest need to bless our wedding rings?
 
If the marriage was not in a church, I am not sure. I think typically a recognized marriage is of two baptized people in a church. Since you weren’t baptized then and it wasn’t a church, I am not sure. But there was a minister? Hmmm, hopefully someone else will have a more concrete answer for you.
Are you Catholic now? I would definitely ask your priest about it. Since there are no divorces, there would be nothing to prevent a blessing.
Blessings!
 
If it was not for the fact that you were not baptized at the time of yoru marriage, this would be an easy question. The answer would be yes!

The Catholic Church recognizes “civil marriages” or “pagan marriages” as legitimate, but not sacramental. If two Hindus were married, the Church recognizes their marriage on a natural level, but not a sacramental level.

Christian marriage is raised to a higher plain than that. The Church teaches that when two baptized Christians are married, they confer the sacrament of matrimony upon each other, and it is this sacramental bond that can only be broken by death. When Christians marry, there are three people involved – the husabdn, the wife, and Christ.

Since you were not baptized, but are now, I expect all that might need to be done would be to see a priest, and have your marriage officially blessed by the Church. Hey, what a great excuse for a party, right!

Should be a simple matter, since it doesn’t sound like there were any previous marriages involved or any other complications.

Pax Christi,
Matt
 
I’m not a Catholic, yet, but my husband and I are considering becoming Catholic. So far, he’s okay with Catholic doctrine, but he is going to flip out if he finds out that the Catholic Church won’t view us as married.
 
It’s not so much that the Church won’t view you as being married, and therefore “living in sin.” It just won’t view yoru marriage as a sacramental marriage, until you have your marriage blessed by the Church. It’s really not that big of a stumbling block, or shouldn’t be. Have you talked to the local priest about this?
Pax,
Matt
 
You need to work closely with a priest on this, because it isn’t always a easy fix. There are many blanks to fill in before a marraige in convalidated.
I was married in a protestant marraige before my conversion. Hubby did not convert, and I was previously married in a civil marraige to a lapsed catholic. (anulled) So now I am in a mixed marraige that the Bishop gave approval for.

My point is, that there are a lot of questions that have to be cleared up before your marraige can be seen as valid in the Church.
Good luck.

My question is - does that make it 2 sacraments then that a non-catholic can recieve? Baptism and Holy Matrimony? (don’t mean to hijack the thread) 🙂
 
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sabrinaofmn:
I’m not a Catholic, yet, but my husband and I are considering becoming Catholic. So far, he’s okay with Catholic doctrine, but he is going to flip out if he finds out that the Catholic Church won’t view us as married.
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Assuming this was a first marriage for both you and your husband, the Catholic Church considers you validly and sacramentally married, and you need do nothing to regularize your marriage status. As Turris Fortis (Matt) pointed out, at the time of your marriage ceremony, your marriage was a valid, “good and natural” marriage, but not sacramental because you were not baptized at the time. However, your marriage automatically became sacramental when you were baptized.

Just FYI, the Catholic Church has from time to time changed the canon law relating to which marriages are considered valid. Prior to 1918, your marriage would have been considered invalid because of the diriment impediment of disparity of cult (i.e., marriage between a baptized person and a non-baptized person). But since you were married in 1996, there is no problem.
 
Your marriage has always been valid and might have been sacramental at its start if you had a baptism by desire since you say you were Christian but not baptized.

In any event it certainly became sacramental(if it wasn’t already) upon your baptism by the Methodist minister.

Congratulations and welcome home!
 
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sabrinaofmn:
I’m not a Catholic, yet, but my husband and I are considering becoming Catholic. So far, he’s okay with Catholic doctrine, but he is going to flip out if he finds out that the Catholic Church won’t view us as married.
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It is not a matter of not viewing you as married as much as making sure you have all the graces avalible to you in your marriage. You are married it is just a matter of insuring that you have God’s full grace upon your marriage. It sounds like you and your husband have been on quite a journey and I would love to hear the story if you are up to sharing what is leading you home?

God Bless and great to meet you
Scott
 
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ridesawhitehors:
My question is - does that make it 2 sacraments then that a non-catholic can recieve? Baptism and Holy Matrimony? (don’t mean to hijack the thread) 🙂
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Yes. Anyone is able to baptize if they use the trinitarian formula and water and intend to do so. The baptized man and woman administer the sacrament of matrimony to each other.

The other 5 sacraments require a valid priesthood, which most non-Catholics have not.

tee
 
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sabrinaofmn:
I’m not a Catholic, yet, but my husband and I are considering becoming Catholic. So far, he’s okay with Catholic doctrine, but he is going to flip out if he finds out that the Catholic Church won’t view us as married.
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The Church knows you are civilly married… there is no doubt about that if you have a marriage license. The Church may simply want to help you to raise the level of your marriage to Sacrament, and that simply means having a priest bless your marriage… NOT your rings, although he may also do that. 🙂

You are married civilly. Neither of you had been married previously… you weren’t Baptized til after your wedding. By having it convalidated or blessed by the Church, you would only be receiving the Graces of another Sacrament.
 
I have a similar question: My wife and I have recently begun attending a Catholic church in our town, but I was raised Lutheran and my wife was not raised in a church. We have been “chased” away from the Lutheran church because of their continuing slide into politically-correct and “contemporary” worship and ideals. We have greatly enjoyed our time attending the Catholic Church the last few months, and have been considering stepping further into expanding our Catholic faith and understanding.

However, recently my wife read on a Catholic web site that the Catholic Church will not recognize our marriage because my wife was not Baptized until after our marriage. She is now Baptized too, and both her and I have grown in our faith. However, she is bothered to think that the Catholic Church would not recognize our marriage after all of these years (married in a Lutheran church, 17 years ago).

Can anyone tell me what the Catholic Church’s position would be on this… must you be Baptized before you are married? If so… what should a couple do if they have “placed the cart before the horse?”

Thank you!
Greg
 
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GLB123:
… must you be Baptized before you are married?
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AFAIK, as a general rule, the Church recognizes all marriages between people of other denominations and doesn’t make the same requirements she does for Catholics.

HTH
 
Marriages between non-baptised persons or a non-baptised with a baptised are considered to be valid and natural marriages. They are however not sacramental, but the moment the non-baptised persons are baptised the marriage automatically becomes sacramental.

There is no need for a blessing or convalidation in a Catholic Church. A Catholic is bound by the Church law and have to be married in the Church by a priest or deacon. If the Catholic is married by a JP or any other person than a Catholic priest then this marriage is not considered to be valid. The Church can in certain circumstances give dispensations regarding this rule.

Persons who are not Catholic are not bound by Church law and can marry according to their custom and it will be a valid and natural marriage.

The moment your wife was baptised your marriage became a sacramental one. Your marriage are considered to be a valid and sacramental marriage by the Catholic Church. Of course, only if this was the first marriage for both of you.

If any of you were married before, even a brief and childless one, and were divorced your current marriage may not be valid and you have to talk to a priest about how to solve this situation.

I was baptised as an infant into the Lutheran church of Norway. I married a Muslim (non-baptised) in a Muslim ceremony. We were years later divorced. Last year when I started my journey towards full membership in the Catholic Church I had to solve this marriage situation since I wanted to marry my fiance in the Catholic Church.

Since my marriage was not sacramental, but considered to be a natural and valid marriage it can be dissolved. In my case as a baptised married with a non-baptised the Pope can dissolve the marriage in “Favour of Faith”. This is called a “Petrine Privilege”. I got my Petrine Privilege in May and is now free to marry my fiance.

I would talk to a Catholic priest about your and your wife’s wish to look into the Catholic Christian faith. He will be able to guide you and give you the correct answers. The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) programs is starting in these days. You are not under any obligation to become a Catholic Christian and can use all the time you need to decide if you want to be received into the Church.
 
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