Do We Need Our Marriage Validated?

[Brother Adam]

Even though we really meet all the requirements for a sacramental marriage, or priest is saying that our marriage is only civil because we did not get a dispensation or have Catholic clergy present at our wedding, and that we need to get married in the Catholic Church.

This is really bothering me, is this really true? I thought marriage was between two people and God and a priest wasn't necessarily required in the sacrament.

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
6/17 - Eleventh Thursday

Brother Adam,

I can understand the anger or frustration that can occur when things like this happen. A friend of mine was baptized in her mother's Methepiscopresbycostal church (I forget the denomination - that's my generic Protestant denomination name) and was raised Catholic by her father. When she went to be confirmed, our pastor insisted that she have a conditional baptism.

Validation of marriage (and conditional baptism) is more for the sake of the Church than for the sake of the couple. In essence, what it is saying is this: "Everything is more than likely legit, but let's make sure, just in case." No insult is intended, nor is any offense meant to be given - it's just so that the Church is confident that everything is cool. It's not an assumption that no marriage ever took place, it's just that the Church, for her sake, wants to make sure everything's A-OK. Hope this helps.

Yours,
Pio Nono