baptism/marriage

united4Peace

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:wave:
Curious to know why my Baptism is valid in the RCC (I checked into it) yet why our marriage is not recognized? I was told by the local Priest that I would need to convert and my dh (who is RCC) would have to ask for forgiveness and then we would have to have our marriage blessed.

Also how would his family and other Catholic's view the birth of our children?

thanks...just curious :)
 

FullyMT

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:wave:
Curious to know why my Baptism is valid in the RCC (I checked into it) yet why our marriage is not recognized? I was told by the local Priest that I would need to convert and my dh (who is RCC) would have to ask for forgiveness and then we would have to have our marriage blessed.

Also how would his family and other Catholic's view the birth of our children?

thanks...just curious :)
Er...not necessarily true. Only one party of the marriage has to be Catholic for the marriage to be recognized -- along with vows made before a member of the clergy with two witnesses. There's a bit more to it, but no, you do not have to convert to Catholicism to have your marriage recognized (although we would be very happy to have you as a member of the faith).
Your children would be expected to be raised Catholic either way.
 
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epiclesis

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Your baptism is recognized because it was done in the Trinitarian formula (in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.)

Your marriage is not considered a sacramental marriage I would assume because you were not married in the Catholic Church - is that correct?
 
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Assisi

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Your baptism is recognized because it was done in the Trinitarian formula (in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.)

Your marriage is not considered a sacramental marriage I would assume because you were not married in the Catholic Church - is that correct?

That's what I was thinking too. Catholics are required to marry in the Church and they need to have the Church witness it. Marriages between two non-Catholics outside the Church are recognised as valid.
 
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ZooMom

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:wave:
Curious to know why my Baptism is valid in the RCC (I checked into it) yet why our marriage is not recognized? I was told by the local Priest that I would need to convert and my dh (who is RCC) would have to ask for forgiveness and then we would have to have our marriage blessed.

Also how would his family and other Catholic's view the birth of our children?

thanks...just curious :)

Hi. :)

Well...you do NOT have to convert for your marriage to be considered sacramental. I do have a couple of questions that might have bearing on the rest of it, though. Were you both Baptized prior to your wedding? Because that WOULD affect the sacramental nature of your marriage. Either way, you are both Baptized now, correct? And you need not 'be married again'...all you need is to have a wedding Mass for your marriage to be considered 'valid'. I've been through this myself, sort of. If you were both Baptized, and were wed with the intent to *be married* as the Church describes it, then your marriage is sacramental. For it to be 'recognized' by the Church is a different thing, and easily accomplished. :)

Peace be with you!
 
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united4Peace

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Hi. :)

Well...you do NOT have to convert for your marriage to be considered sacramental. I do have a couple of questions that might have bearing on the rest of it, though. Were you both Baptized prior to your wedding? Because that WOULD affect the sacramental nature of your marriage. Either way, you are both Baptized now, correct? And you need not 'be married again'...all you need is to have a wedding Mass for your marriage to be considered 'valid'. I've been through this myself, sort of. If you were both Baptized, and were wed with the intent to *be married* as the Church describes it, then your marriage is sacramental. For it to be 'recognized' by the Church is a different thing, and easily accomplished. :)

Peace be with you!

I was baptised as an infant in the UCCan which the Catholic Church recognizes as a Baptism (a Priest told me it was recognized), Dh was baptised as a baby in the RCC and then later confirmed in the RCC. We were married in the Church that I belong to (UCCan), therefore the Priest at the local church told me that our marriage was not recognized.
 
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united4Peace

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That's what I was thinking too. Catholics are required to marry in the Church and they need to have the Church witness it. Marriages between two non-Catholics outside the Church are recognised as valid.

Correct except that Im the non RCC and Dh is a RCC.
**In the UCCan we are baptised under Holy catholic Church...which most Protestants are I believe.
 
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united4Peace

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Er...not necessarily true. Only one party of the marriage has to be Catholic for the marriage to be recognized -- along with vows made before a member of the clergy with two witnesses. There's a bit more to it, but no, you do not have to convert to Catholicism to have your marriage recognized (although we would be very happy to have you as a member of the faith).
Your children would be expected to be raised Catholic either way.

Our kids were baptised in the same Church as I was. :)
 
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ZooMom

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I was baptised as an infant in the UCCan which the Catholic Church recognizes as a Baptism (a Priest told me it was recognized), Dh was baptised as a baby in the RCC and then later confirmed in the RCC. We were married in the Church that I belong to (UCCan), therefore the Priest at the local church told me that our marriage was not recognized.

:) Then your marriage is indeed sacramental, although not yet recognized in the Church. If you wish it to be so, then you are only a Mass away. However, you may be asked to agree to raising your children in the Catholic faith. If you can't or won't, then the priest may refuse the validation. Doesn't mean you aren't married, just that the Church doesn't recognize the marriage...yet. This won't impede anything, except perhaps your husband's ability to receive Communion in the Catholic Church.

Best of luck! :wave:
 
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ZooMom

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the problem the priest has is that a catholic was married in a non-catholic church
we recognize other marriages as natural but not sacremental marriages

Actually, the requirement for a Sacramental marriage is that both parties be baptized, and marry according to the Church's *definition* of marriage, not the Church's Rite of Marriage. Just as a priest is not necessary to perform a Baptism, a Baptized couple confers the sacrament of marriage on *each other*. The priest does not confect the sacrament and is merely a witness for the Church. A 'natural contract' occurs when one or both of the parties are unBaptized...not non-Catholic.

All that being said...yes, the marriage still needs to be recognized by the Church, if the couple intends to be participate in the life of the Church, and children are required to be raised in the faith. :) I recall that I had to sign a paper regarding that when my husband converted.
 
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Colin

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I was baptised as an infant in the UCCan which the Catholic Church recognizes as a Baptism (a Priest told me it was recognized), Dh was baptised as a baby in the RCC and then later confirmed in the RCC. We were married in the Church that I belong to (UCCan), therefore the Priest at the local church told me that our marriage was not recognized.

Sadly your marriage is not recoginised in the RC Church .

Your husband is RC and for his marriage to be valid according to the RC rules he would need to be married in a RC church , unless a dispensation had been granted .

You were married in a UCCan church , so going by the present RC rules , your marriage is invalid . For it to be made valid according to the RC rules you would need to be married again in an RC church , unless there are grounds for a dispensation .
 
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AMDG

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Just to make this more confusing for you--if only one of you were Baptised and the other was not, the marriage would *not* be considered Sacramental *even if the marriage was held in a Catholic Church with a priest presiding.* (I'm actually mentioning this so you will see that you aren't being "picked" on. There are even marriage rules for long time Catholics and the known Precepts of the Catholic Church note that Catholics can *only* marry in the Catholic Church before a priest. At any rate, *both* parties must have had either Protestant or Catholic Baptism or there is no Sacramental marriage--only a "natural" marriage.)

Now, I think that when both parties are Baptized there can be a Sacramental marriage and I'm pretty sure that permanence is still binding on the Catholic party in either case. And as always, the Catholic party still must see that the children are brought up Catholic, but other than that, children aren't viewed any differently--they are gifts from God.

It's wise to check with your priest if you have any questions. The priest has access to the Marriage Tribunal.
 
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united4Peace

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(although we would be very happy to have you as a member of the faith).
Just wanted to say thankyou for that, however as I am quite liberal in my beliefs that is what has stopped me from changing Churches. Though I did go to a Catholic School for elementary school, and many on both sides of our family are Catholic.
peace and again thank you all for addressing my question :)
 
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Anhelyna

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seems like each church has there own rules. i say if you love eachother do what you want to do

You may not say that here as it is against the teaching of the Catholic Church.
 
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MKJ

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Actually, the requirement for a Sacramental marriage is that both parties be baptized, and marry according to the Church's *definition* of marriage, not the Church's Rite of Marriage. Just as a priest is not necessary to perform a Baptism, a Baptized couple confers the sacrament of marriage on *each other*. The priest does not confect the sacrament and is merely a witness for the Church. A 'natural contract' occurs when one or both of the parties are unBaptized...not non-Catholic.

All that being said...yes, the marriage still needs to be recognized by the Church, if the couple intends to be participate in the life of the Church, and children are required to be raised in the faith. :) I recall that I had to sign a paper regarding that when my husband converted.


I am pretty sure this is incorrect. As far as I understand it, if two non-Catholic Christians marry outside the CC, it is a sacramental marriage with no need to do anything when one or both convert.

But members of the CC are required to marry in the Catholic Church unless they get permission not to. Only Catholics are considered to be bound by the rules of the CC for its own members. Not following that rule makes the marriage invalid - that is, not a marriage at all, either sacramental or natural marriage.

So in the case of the OP, her husband was bound by the rules to marry in the Catholic Church, and so the marriage is invalid. Since it is not a marriage at all in their view it is neither sacramental or natural.

That means they need to get what is called a convalidation. That is, they need to have what is, from the point of view of the CC, a real marriage ceremony according to their rules, though I believe it usually isn't a ceremony on the same scale as a regular wedding ceremony.

OP - it is because your husband was Catholic that he was supposed to follow the rules set out for Catholics - that is the only reason they do not consider that your marriage actually happened. In the case of a baptism, it is only about following the correct protocol which can be done anywhere. Since no one is a Catholic before being baptized, they can't really be required to follow the rules of the Catholic Church.
 
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united4Peace

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My baptism is valid...the RCC recognizes my baptism...yes I was told that by the local priest. However our marriage is not, if I turned RCC we would have to have our marriage blessed or something to be valid(MKJ is correct as not a full ceremony). I was just wondering why the RCC recognizes my baptism(I would not have to be rebaptized unless I had been baptized in a church that they do not recognize like the LDS or JW-our church does not recognize those baptisms either) but not our marriage...

However I had this answered which I thank everyone for :)

PS. could I have the OP closed as now that the questions were answered and I really don't think there is more to add...

Again thank you everyone :)
 
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