2.6.9  Convalidation (Re-Validation/“Blessing the Marriage”) 

There’s no right word for this phenomenon. Sometimes it’s called a convalidation; sometimes a revalidation; and couples usually call it “getting their marriage blessed.” 

Most commonly, the situation is that a couple has entered into a civil union, and they now wish to exchange consent in the Church. Canonically, the Church does not recognize their prior exchange of consent, but there is some sort of commitment which they made to each other, and some sort of moral responsibilities which flow from that commitment. 

Since according to the Church the couple is exchanging consent for the first time, all of the requirements for entering the Sacrament of Matrimony must be fulfilled. The couple must exchange consent anew (and not simply renew consent that was previously given), and they must have the proper knowledge, intention, and capacity for doing so. 

For those raised in the Catholic Church, there may be an understanding that their “real” marriage is the one that takes place in the Church. For non-Catholics (whose churches require no particular form for marriage), the requirement for a new act of consent may not be obvious. In either case, the pastoral minister should explain this in detail. 

If the other party does not see a need to give their consent again, and is adamant that their former consent was good enough, then it might be better to seek a sanatio in radice, rather than try to convalidate the marriage. (A sanatio in radice is a retroactive convalidation of the marriage, which does not require a new act of consent.) If this seems the preferable way to handle the situation, contact the Office for Canonical Services to obtain details about this.

Please note: A convalidation cannot be used as a condition for baptizing the child of a couple not married in the Church. Marital consent has to have both internal and external freedom in order to be valid. The baptism of a child can only be postponed in the event that there is no hope that the child will be raised in the Catholic Church. There is no provision in Church law for refusal of baptism. 

Procedure

Just like with any marriage, the couple must have the proper capacity, knowledge, and intention for entering into marriage. They also must be giving their consent freely. The fact that they have been living together for a period of time does not necessarily mean that they understand what Christian marriage is or that they are freely choosing it. Once their marriage takes place in the Church, they will have a new relationship with the Christian community. It would be good to explore this aspect of their relationship further. 

The other thing that happens in a convalidation is that the partners are bound to each other in a different way. This, too, needs to be explored with the couple. 

It will also be necessary to explain to the couple that this is their one, true marriage. The other exchange of consent established something like marriage, but it is this marriage in the Lord that creates a true marriage bond. 

Some other areas you might want to explore are:

·         What were the events leading up to their marriage outside the Church?

·         What contributed to their decision not to marry in the Church, but to marry elsewhere?

·         How would they describe their marriage up to this point? Have there been any major arguments or break-ups? Were there any instances of infidelity? Were there any instances of physical abuse or substance abuse?

·         If they have children, how would they describe themselves and how would they describe each other as parents?

·         If they already have children, are they being raised in the Catholic faith?

·         If they already have children, you will also need to explore issues regarding an intention against having more children. When couples convalidate their marriage, they must have the same intention as any other couple entering into marriage; that is, to enter into a faithful, fruitful, abiding relationship.

·         Explore the issues of permanence, since this will be a commitment to a permanent relationship. Their marriage outside the Church was not necessarily a commitment to a permanent relationship, since the state gives both parties the right to end the marriage at any time.

·         What made them decide to enter into marriage in the Church? Were there any external factors present in their decision, such as parental pressure, the birth of a child, problems in the relationship that they believe “God’s blessing” will cure, etc.?

·         What do they think will be different about their relationship after their Church marriage? 

Preparation

Couples who recently (up to six months) entered into a civil marriage should attend Special PreCana or Discovery Weekend, in addition to your own preparation. Couples who have been civilly married for a longer period of time (more than six months) may wish to attend a Marriage Encounter or a similar marriage enrichment program in order to prepare for the convalidation of their marriage. 

Paperwork

All marriage papers should be sent to the Office for Canonical Services for a “nihil obstat.”