- Oct 31, 2008
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This question's been rolling around in my mind for a while. Suppose a couple for one reason or another disapproved of the civil aspect of marriage, would the Church still facilitate the sacrament or, at least how it's setup here in the US, would they always insist on a marriage license first before proceeding?
I'm finally bringing this up because I saw someone else post a similar question elsewhere. Apparently the couple in question didn't want to go through the civil process because it would trigger some kind of background check or something that could end with the bride's parents deported. I don't know exactly. But someone was asking if they could just receive a sacramental marriage instead to protect her parents.
Some of the answers included (for this specific case) "No, because it sounds like you'd be abetting some sort of fraud." and "You would have to get married in a foreign country where they don't have civil marriage".
I remember a lady telling me once that she didn't approve of civil marriages because the government uses marriage licenses as some sort of labor certificate to sell to foreign governments like China (that might be the weirdest conspiracy theory I've ever heard). BUT, let's suppose a couple's objections fall into something like that, or maybe they think civic authority is why marriage has been corrupted allowing in things like gay marriage; so the couple in question is philosophically opposed the concept of civil marriage but in seeking a sacramental marriage only, they're not trying to do something illegal. Would most western/US parishes still require a civilly-issued marriage license first?
I'm finally bringing this up because I saw someone else post a similar question elsewhere. Apparently the couple in question didn't want to go through the civil process because it would trigger some kind of background check or something that could end with the bride's parents deported. I don't know exactly. But someone was asking if they could just receive a sacramental marriage instead to protect her parents.
Some of the answers included (for this specific case) "No, because it sounds like you'd be abetting some sort of fraud." and "You would have to get married in a foreign country where they don't have civil marriage".
I remember a lady telling me once that she didn't approve of civil marriages because the government uses marriage licenses as some sort of labor certificate to sell to foreign governments like China (that might be the weirdest conspiracy theory I've ever heard). BUT, let's suppose a couple's objections fall into something like that, or maybe they think civic authority is why marriage has been corrupted allowing in things like gay marriage; so the couple in question is philosophically opposed the concept of civil marriage but in seeking a sacramental marriage only, they're not trying to do something illegal. Would most western/US parishes still require a civilly-issued marriage license first?
