Anna Anonymous
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Hi, guys —
I recently married my husband however, due to our current situation, we didn't have our wedding in a Church though we do plan to have one in the future.
- Can we move out and live together, or not?
I'm worried if we are not married in the Church it would not be considered a valid marriage under our religion.
- If we cannot, is there a way for us to be validly married under Church authority without having to have a wedding?
I hope to hear your response soon.
God bless you and thank you so much!
Anonymous
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If we were not married in the Church, is it a valid marriage and can we marry without a wedding? }
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Bob replied:
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Dear Anna,
May I suggest that you seek out your parish priest to see about having the marriage validated in a small private ceremony with just the priest and witnesses, assuming there are no formal matters that would be obstacles, i.e. previous marriages, divorces, and so forth.
It is not necessary to have a big formal wedding but having a valid marriage in the Church is important for:
- your souls
- your marriage
- your standing in the Church, and
- not least, the foundation of the marriage in Christ who binds you together.
Peace,
Bob Kirby
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Fr. Jonathan replied:
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Hi, Anna,
I agree with Bob that a small private ceremony is a good way to go however you could also just ask the bishop to sanate your marriage and it could be made valid dating back to your civil wedding day without a new ceremony.
In both cases it is best to speak with your priest or call your diocese.
Fr. Jonathan
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