From a reader…
QUAERITUR:
My grandson will be married in a year. He has not been baptized but raised in a Christian home. His wife to be is Catholic. He insists their marriage can take place in a hotel and witnessed by a deacon. I have researched this and concluded that can only happen with the permission of the Ordinary. Your comments will be appreciated.
Ah, weddings always bring out the most interesting questions.
When a Catholic marries an unbaptized person, the Catholic party needs a dispensation from the local ordinary (can. 1086. 1, and can. 1129). If the ordinary (the diocesan bishop or vicar general) grants this dispensation, then the wedding may be celebrated either in a church or “in another suitable place” (can. 1118. 3). No further special permission is required. Permission would be required if two baptized persons wanted to marry in a place other than a parish church. The wedding of a couple in which only one party is Catholic should not take place within the context of a Mass.
