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Convalidation
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CONVALIDATION: Bringing Your Marriage Into The Church
Like other couples in our parish or in your family, you may be wondering if your marriage is fully recognized by the Catholic Church. Catholic Church law ordinarily requires baptized Roman Catholics to marry in a sacred space before a priest or deacon. Unless they received a special dispensation from the Archdiocese, Catholics who exchange vows in the presence of ministers from other religious traditions or civil officials are considered to be legally and civilly married in the eyes of the state but are not considered validly married (sacramentally) in the eyes of the Catholic Church.
Catholic Marriage is unique among other marital relationships because it is a sacrament that makes Christ present in our world. The relationship between husband and wife mirrors the relationship of Jesus Christ for his people. In the Catholic tradition, the husband and wife accept a role in God’s plan for humanity. They are ambassadors of God’s love, and they collaborate with God to keep humanity alive.
Catholics are required to observe a certain form of marriage ritual in order that their marriage be valid. Canon law—the law of the Church—requires that Catholics enter into marriage by free mutual consent that is witnessed in a church by an authorized bishop, priest, or deacon and at least two other witnesses. Marriages in which one or both parties are Catholic and which are not witnessed by an authorized bishop, priest, or deacon, or which do not receive proper permission to take place in another forum, are not considered valid in the eyes of the Church.1
Simply put, if the couple has entered into a civil marriage and if either spouse is a Baptized Catholic and they were not married in the Catholic Church, then they would need a Convalidation, to validate their marriage in the eyes of the Church.
It may be that the Catholic who entered into marriage outside the Church did not realize that these requirements existed or could be because one or both of the spouses was not free to marry in the Catholic Church because of a previous marriage or because they were awaiting an annulment. Also, the Catholic partner(s) may not have been active in the Church and did not consider having a Catholic wedding.
Regardless of what happened in the past, St. Vincent de Paul Parish and the Catholic Church invites you to bring new meaning to your lives by embracing the vocation of marriage and dedicating your family’s mission to sharing God’s love.
If you have any questions or want more information about convalidations, please contact:
Burt Martin
Director of Parish & Family Life Ministries
713-663-3585
bmartin@svdp-edu.org