Marriage or the Sacrament of Matrimony
Requirements [Universal Church Requirements]
a. Baptized Catholics, by canon law, are required to marry Catholics.
– If a Baptized Catholic marries a Baptized non-Catholic Christian, the
– If a Baptized Catholic marries an Unbaptized person of the opposite
– If a Baptized Catholic marries a person who has notoriously rejected the
priest or deacon must file a dispensation for mixed religion prior to the
marriage celebration. [Canon 1124]
gender, the priest or deacon must file a dispensation for Disparity of
Worship/Cult. [Canon 1086 §2]
faith [Canon 1071 §1, 4.] or a lapsed Catholic, the priest or deacon must
apply for permission and file a dispensation for mixed religion prior to the
ceremony.
–
b. Baptized Catholics, by canon law, are required to get married in a sacred
space such as a Catholic Church or Oratory.
– If the couple has reason to get married in a non-Catholic church or oratory
– If the couple has reason to get married in a suitable place outside a sacred
[Canon 1118, §2, §3], the priest or deacon must file a dispensation from
Canonical Form. AND
A letter to the Bishop is required stating the serious reasons for the
ceremony taking place in a non-Catholic Church or Oratory
space [Canon 1118, §2, §3] such as in outdoor weddings or reception
halls, the priest or deacon must file a dispensation from Canonical Form
AND
• A letter to the Bishop is required stating the serious reasons for the
ceremony taking place in a place other than a Church or oratory. This
is rarely granted and only for the most serious of reasons.
c. Baptized Catholics, by canon law, are required to get married in front of a
Catholic priest or deacon
– If there is a desire to have a non-Catholic minister participate, in a
the
• The non-Catholic minister can read from Scripture, give a brief
• The Catholic priest/deacon presides, reads the Gospel, preaches the
Catholic Church [Canon 1127, §3] permission must be obtained from
Bishop AND
exhortation and bless the couple, BUT
homily, and receives the consent of both parties.
d. Baptized Catholics and their future spouse, by canon law, are required to be
past the minor age [normally at least 18 years of age or older].
– For a marriage of a minor child whose parents are unaware of it or are
reasonably opposed to it [Canon 1071, §1, 6.] the priest or deacon must
obtain permission from the Bishop by writing a letter and stating the
serious reasons. The reasons cannot go against civil law of the territory.
e. Baptized Catholics must be free to marry and their future spouses must be free
to marry. Neither can have a prior marriage.
[This is possibly the most misunderstood requirement. Since the priest or
deacon is not the official minister but witnesses for the community of faith
and the couple itself is the minister of the sacrament, any prior marriage via
church wedding, civil ceremony, common law which meets the civil
requirements must be investigated only after the divorce of the civil
annulment has been procured. In this case the marriage must be delayed
until an ecclesiastical annulment is sought for each marriage of each spouse
prior to establishing a date for the marriage. No wedding date can be
established until this is completed. The couple must set an appointment with
the priest or deacon to initiate the annulment process.]
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