What are the rules concerning marrying outside of a couple’s resident diocese? If they have already taken the marriage course offered by their diocese and decide to elope on the spur of the moment or marry while on vacation, and desire to married by a Catholic priest in a Catholic Church is this possible? What is Church regulation surrounding such a wedding?

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), June 14, 2003

Answers

Bump!

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), June 14, 2003.

To get married in a diocese other than your own diocese, you must submit forms to your own diocese. Your diocese will complete these, and then forward them directly to the diocese in which you wish to marry. In this way the other diocese can be sure that there are no impediments (for example a previous valid marriage) and that you are in fact free to marry. So, it's entirely possible for one of the couple, or both parties, to marry outwith their diocese, but it has to be pre-arranged. It would seem that marrying 'on the spur of the moment' would not be possible.

God bless

-- Sara (sara_catholic_forum@yahoo.co.uk), June 14, 2003.

I was married an a diocese in which neither me nor my now-wife was a resident. We were told that the priest who was conducting the ceremony has to have certain paperwork, including (1) copies of certain basic information (baptismal certificates, etc), (2) a certification that we had successfully met the requirements (marriage prep, etc.)to be married in the diocese that we were a resident in, and (3) permission from the priest in the home parish to perform the wedding. We let the two priests take care of this bewteen themeslves, so I can't say for sure exactly what was required or sent. Certainly if there were to be a "last minute" change in location of the wedding the priest in the home parish would have to get the paperwork together and to the new priest before the wedding could take place.

I do know that the permission is require by canon law:

Canon 1115 Marriages are to be celebrated in the parish in which either of the contracting parties has a domicile or a quasi-domicile or a month's residence or, if there is question of vagi, in the parish in which they are actually residing. With the permission of the proper Ordinary or the proper parish priest, marriages may be celebrated elsewhere.

-- Rick (rosenbergerra@yahoo.com), June 14, 2003.

Rick, your comments would seem to back up what Sara is saying. Sara, thanks for the information.

-- Ed (catholic4444@yahoo.ca), June 14, 2003.