The matrimonial covenant is a partnership of the whole life between a man and woman, which by its nature is oriented towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children.[1] A marriage contracted by two baptized parties is also a sacrament.[2] This article will examine the law regarding the place of marriages according to Canon Law. It will identify the the ordinary and extraordinary venues at which marriages can be celebrated. In doing so, it will expound on the rationale of the law and answer the question, “where can Catholic weddings be celebrated?”
The Ordinary Place of Sacramental Marriages
Canon 1118 of the Code of Canon Law addresses the venues in which Catholic marriages can be celebrated. It covers weddings between Catholic parties, Catholics and baptized Non-Catholics, and Catholics with Non-Baptized persons.
Canon 1118 §1 states, “A marriage between Catholics or between a Catholic party and a non Catholic baptized party is to be celebrated in a parish church. It can be celebrated in another church or oratory with the permission of the local ordinary or pastor.”[3] The paragraph centers on sacramental marriages, which include marriages between Catholics and baptized non-Catholics. It identifies the church as the venue par excellence for sacramental marriages. This is because the church is a sacred place that has been designated for divine worship and the proper venue for the sacraments.[4] The sacraments are not private celebrations, but they are sacred actions and means of Christ and of the Church to sanctify people and give glory to God.[5]
The law also makes provision that the local ordinary (Bishop/Vicar General) or pastor can permit sacramental marriages to take place in another church or oratory. An oratory is a sacred place designated for divine worship, but for the benefit of certain communities.[6] In common parlance, oratories are called chapels. Since oratories are also designated for divine worship, the law also permits sacramental marriages to take place there. The most common oratories in a diocese are those in religious houses or communities. Here are two examples that illustrate how canon 1118 §1 could be applied:
Example One: A Catholic woman wants to marry an Anglican man. The Anglican man agrees that their marriage can take place at his fiancée’s parish church, St. Jude parish. Even though the man is not a Catholic, he is baptized. This will make their marriage a sacramental one and the preferred place is St. Jude parish church.
Example Two: A Catholic man desires to marry his Evangelical girlfriend. The Catholic man has a strong desire to marry at the Mercedarian Sisters’ Oratory at Maturana in Navy Hill. By law, their wedding can take place at the Oratory, as long as the man’s pastor and the Superior of the Mercedarian Sisters allows them. Since oratories are sacred places designated for certain communities, the competent superior of the oratory must give permission before “outsiders” use it.
Extraordinary Place of Marriages: Outside A Church Or Oratory
Canon 1118 § 2 states, “the local ordinary can permit a marriage to be celebrated in another suitable place.” The canon allows sacramental marriages to take place outside of a church or oratory. The local ordinary is the competent authority for granting this permission. A pastor cannot legally permit sacramental marriages to be celebrated outside of a church or oratory. A pastor’s failure to request the local ordinary’s permission renders his act illicit. The canon notes that the wedding must be celebrated in a “suitable place.” A description of a suitable place for marriage will vary from person to person. Is a golf course a suitable place? A farm? A restaurant? Suicide Cliff? John Beal writes, “suitable places might include the non-Catholic church or place of worship of one of the parties to a mixed marriage, a non-denominational chapel attached to a college, university, or other institution, or even a private home. When judging the suitability of a place for the celebration of marriage, care should be taken to ensure that the nature of the place is consistent with a religious celebration. Particular law or policy might establish criteria for determining the suitability of places for the celebration of marriage or determine which places in the diocese are suitable and under which conditions.”[7] Ana Maria Vega adds “for granting of permission, a grave reason is no longer required. It is left to the discretion of the local ordinary to grant or deny authorization for the celebration of a marriage outside a sacred place.”[8]
The particular law[9] of a diocese might touch on venue suitability for weddings. For instance, the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2018 issued policies regarding the celebration of marriage outside a church or oratory.[10] Article 404.8.3.4 states, “wedding venues outside the parish church should be reasonable and in keeping with a religious celebration. The place of the ceremony should establish a prayerful, sacred feeling for the couple and their guests.”[11] Its policy also identifies unsuitable venues like “on a boat, anyplace where alcohol is served as a matter of course such as casinos, bars, night clubs or the like.”[12] In keeping with the provisions of canon 1118 §2, the Archdiocese of Baltimore established procedures according to which couples can request permission to celebrate their wedding at a suitable place.[13]
Canon 1118 § 3 deals with the venue of marriages between Catholics and non-baptized persons; These are ipso facto non-sacramental marriages. It states, “A marriage between a Catholic party and a non-baptized party can be celebrated in a church or in another suitable place.”[14] Even for non-sacramental marriages, the law mentions that the wedding can take place in a church. As the Rite of Marriage indicates, a wedding mass is not celebrated between a Catholic and an unbaptized person.[15] Canon 1118 §3 also allows for non-sacramental marriages to take place in another suitable location. The noteworthy exception is that the permission of the local ordinary is not required to select this alternative venue for non-sacramental marriages. The pastor or presiding minister can determine that the wedding be celebrated outside a church. Below are two scenarios in which Canon 1118 §§2-3 could be applied.
Scenario One: Catholic and Baptized Non-Catholic
Raymond, a Catholic, wants to marry his girlfriend Bray, who is a Baptist. Their wedding can take place in Raymond’s parish church of St. Thomas Moore, but Bray’s parents are opposed to entering a Catholic church; They are not accustomed to seeing statues of the saints and are making wedding plans difficult. In the interest of Raymond and Bray’s marriage, the bishop permits Raymond and Bray to marry at the Baptist chapel. They all agree though, that Raymond’s pastor, Fr. Augustine, will preside over the wedding. In this case, the pastor uses the “Rite of Marriage Without A Mass.” This is an application of canon 1118 §2, which allows the local ordinary to permit a marriage between a Catholic and baptized non-Catholic in a suitable place.
Scenario Two: Catholic and Unbaptized Party
Gloria, a Catholic woman, desires to marry an Atheist named Allen, who is an unbaptized man. Allen is not opposed to Gloria living her faith and he wants her to be happy. However, Allen’s family is anti-Catholic due to the abuse crisis and they strongly oppose entering a Catholic church. They think Gloria’s pastor Fr. Dennis is a nice man, but they refuse to enter a church. In this sensitive situation, Fr. Dennis can decide that the wedding will take place in their home. He does not need to ask permission from the local ordinary. This is an application of canon 1118 §3.
Conclusion
So where can Catholic weddings be celebrated? They can be celebrated in a church, an oratory, or another suitable place.[16] Through a careful study of the law, one realizes there are degrees of preferences. The church stands as the the preferred place of marriage, especially for sacramental marriages.[17] Church law also permits marriages to be celebrated in another suitable place.[18] Scholars have attempted to describe suitable places for marriages, but in the principle of subsidiarity, the competent local authority ultimately determines the venue’s suitability. Canon law admits of the possibility to celebrate liturgy outside a church. For example, the proper place to hear Confessions is within a confessional in a church or oratory.[19] For a just cause, the priest can hear one’s confession outside a confessional.[20] Also, the preeminent place for the celebration of Mass is inside a church on an altar.[21] If the circumstances require it, mass can also be celebrated in a non-Catholic worship space or in a decent place.[22] One thinks of the outdoor masses celebrated during World Youth Day and Easter Sunrise mass on Mt. Tapochau. Looking at other places of the law, the legislator permits sacraments to be celebrated outside a church or oratory should circumstances warrant it.
During the 2019 Canon Law Society of America Conference, Sean Bransfield delivered a seminar about the place of Catholic weddings.[23] In it, he recognized the challenges to unity and harmony when pastors, church ministers, and the lay faithful debate about suitable places for weddings. He urged people to respect the mind of the lawmaker and his decisions, even if we personally disagree with them.[24] Canon 1118 clearly grants local authorities’ the flexibility to determine whether a couple’s wedding should take place in a church, an oratory, or another suitable place. Bransfield concluded, “When it comes to place of marriage policies in light of canon 1118, it is important to remember that there is no right or wrong answer. How does one define suitable? This is a question that will never admit of a definitive answer. So long as canon 1118 remains in effect, we need to acknowledge and respect the differences of theological and pastoral opinion that lead to the establishment and implementation of place of marriage policies, no matter how varied they may be . . . . What is best for our local churches in our current times and places will continue to change and evolve, just like life itself. So let us all continue to be open to questions that the law allows us to discuss. In conclusion, let us remember that the salus animarum is always to be our primary goal as we continue to serve as ministers of the Church.”[25]
Let us pray for all couples preparing for the joys and demands of marriage. May they prepare their hearts, as the preeminent places for God to dwell and bestow His graces to fulfill their vows. Ubi Caritas Deus Ibi Est. Where there is love, God is there.
[1]Codex Iuris Canonici auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II promulgatus (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1983) c.1055. English translation from Code of Canon Law, Latin-English Edition: New English Translation (Washington DC: CLSA, 2012). All subsequent English translations from this code will be taken from this source unless otherwise indicated.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Canon 1118 §1.
[4] Canon 1212.
[5] Canon 840.
[6] Canon 1214.
[7] John P. Beal, “Marriage cc. 1055-1165,” In New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, ed. John Beal et al. (New York/Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2001) 1338 (Hereafter New Commentary).
[8] Ana Maria Vega “The Form of the Celebration of Marriage (cc.1108-1123),” in Exegetical Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, English language edition ed. Ernest Caparros et al. (Chicago, IL: Midwest Theological Forum, 2004) 3/1481 (hereafter Exegetical Commentary).
[9] Particular law refers to the law of a particular place like a diocese. Canon law identifies the Diocesan bishop as the sole legislator for his diocese, who is capable of issue laws for his territory.
[10] Archdiocese of Baltimore, “404 Style of Marriage Celebrations,” https://policy.archbalt.org/sacraments/404-style-of-marriage-celebrations/, accessed August 3 2021.
[11] Ibid, 404.8.3.4.
[12] Ibid, 404.8.3.5.
[13] Ibid, 404.8.3.7.
[14] Canon 1118 §3.
[15] Rite of Marriage no.36.
[16] Canon 1118.
[17] Ibid, §1.
[18] Ibid, §§2-3.
[19] Canon 964 §1.
[20] Ibid, §3.
[21] Canon 932 §§1-2.
[22] Ibid, Canon 933.
[23] Sean Bransfield, “Canonical Norms Regarding Place of Marriage: Both A Challenge And An Opportunity,” in CLSA Proceedings 81 (2019) 78.
[24] Ibid, 101.
[25] Ibid, 101.