Are Non-catholic Marriages Valid?

[geauxsaints26]

I would like to think that they are invalid since they cannot uphold the sacrament of marriage validly. This caused me to wonder whether married non-Catholic couples are living in sin and fornicating. Will God recognize a marriage, outside of the sacrament, where 2 people are totally faithful and devoted for life?

[Dave]

Actually, the Church considers marriages between 2 non-Catholics valid too.

[cappie]

From the Code of Canon Law:

Can. 1055 §1 The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of their whole life, and which of its own very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children, has, between the baptised, been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

§2 Consequently, a valid marriage contract cannot exist between baptised persons without its being by that very fact a sacrament.

The only condition, therefore, for a marriage to be a sacrament is that both husband and wife are baptized at the time they marry. This applies to all baptized persons, whether Catholic or not.

What, then, is to be said about marriages that are not sacramental? The Church describes such marriages as held together by a “natural bond.” A natural bond can be dissolved.

In general, two forms of non-sacramental marriages exist. Either one or both partners are not baptized when they marry. In both cases, no sacrament of marriage takes place.

The classic form of dissolving the natural bond is the Pauline Privilege. It is carefully expressed in the Code of Canon Law.

In virtue of the Pauline Privilege, a marriage entered into by two unbaptized persons is dissolved in favor of the faith of the party who received baptism, by the very fact that a new marriage is contracted by that same party, provided the unbaptized party departs….

The unbaptized party is considered to depart if he or she is unwilling to live with the baptized party, or to live peacefully without offence to the Creator, unless the baptized party has, after the reception of Baptism, given the other just cause to depart (Canon 1143).

However, even a marriage between a baptized and a non-baptized person can be dissolved “in favor of the faith,” also called “privilege of the faith.” The circumstances would be similar to those of a Pauline Privilege, where one partner wishes to become Catholic but the non-Catholic spouse places grave obstacles to the practice of the Catholic faith.

The biblical grounds for the Pauline Privilege and the privilege of faith dissolution of the natural bond are in St. Paul (I Corinthians 7:12-16). Implied in both privileges is that only a valid sacramental and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved under any circumstances.

[Guest]

[quote name='geauxsaints26' post='1703090' date='Nov 16 2008, 11:08 PM']I would like to think that they are invalid since they cannot uphold the sacrament of marriage validly. This caused me to wonder whether married non-Catholic couples are living in sin and fornicating. Will God recognize a marriage, outside of the sacrament, where 2 people are totally faithful and devoted for life?[/quote]

Why would you like to think this ?

Christ died for all who love him and believe.

We are 1 body.

[reyb]

[indent]The issue is - is the sacrament of marriage of the Roman Catholic Church truly from God? Then the rest is useless debate.[/indent]

Edited April 14, 2009 by reyb

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='reyb' post='1835053' date='Apr 14 2009, 04:37 AM'][indent]The issue is - is the sacrament of marriage of the Roman Catholic Church truly from God? Then the rest is useless debate.[/indent][/quote]
On a Catholic phorum, in a thread like this, that's already understood.