m, I pinged you because you might know how to figure this out. Catholics normally must marry in the church, no? Not in an outside canopy, although there may be exceptions.:
You are correct Aliska, there are "norms", which means nothing to many catholics these days, unfortunately.
Even tho the wedding ceremony is allowed to be held outside of a church with special permission, out of sight of the main Altar and the Altar of Mary, this is highly discouraged. Those who choose to go this route most likely don't have God as the Guest of Honor Par Excellence. What more can I say.
Below is the appropriate section of Code of Canon Law 1983 in regards to this issue.
Can. 1118 §1 A marriage between Catholics, or between a catholic party and a baptized non-Catholic, is to be celebrated in the parish church. By permission of the local Ordinary or of the parish priest, it may be celebrated in another church or oratory.§2 The local Ordinary can allow a marriage to be celebrated in another suitable place.
§3 A marriage between a catholic party and an unapprised party may be celebrated in a church or in another suitable place.
Now here is my 2 cents, taken from the cue of my wise old priest friend and canon lawyer. From observable actions over the years, I strongly suspect John Kerry had a "catholic wedding", but not a "catholic marriage". There is a major difference. Real catholics know what that is.
Doesn't there have to be a mass with reception of communion even if permission had been obtained to have it in the yard of your home?
If there was no priest or deacon officiating, that makes me suspect there was no annulment.
The other arguments aside as to the unbinding by annulment (I know that's not what it really is), if there is no priest or deacon officiating, I don't see how it can be a valid Catholic marriage.
If they are not in a valid Catholic marriage (accepting annulments as valid), he should not be receiving communion on that basis.
There is no mention in articles on the web any of the details of the wedding to indicate if a priest or deacon officiated.
Thanks for helping me with this. There is another thread on this and I dug out my canon law book, and it is as you say.