[Irish] Bishops’ Threat Over Non-Signing of Civil Wedding Forms

The Irish Times ^ | 4/13/15 | Declan Brennan

[marshmallow]

If same-sex vote carried, the church’s view on marriage and that of State radically different

Ireland’s Catholic bishops spokesman has said the church may no longer perform the civil aspects of weddings if marriage is extended to same-sex couples.

The move would mean the tens of thousands of couples who get married in Catholic churches each year would have to go elsewhere to have their marriage legally recognised by the State.

At present, the signing of the Marriage Registration Form – a civil document required by the State in order to recognise a marriage – takes place after the wedding Mass.

If the church carries through on its threat to bring the practice to an end, it will mean that couples will not officially be married by the church ceremony.

This weekend a spokesman for the Irish Catholic Bishops said he believed that priests would be unlikely to have any issue with the bishops’ possible move to force all couples marrying in the church to carry out the civil aspect of their marriage elsewhere.

Currently in a church wedding, after the Mass has ended the couple, the solemniser – in this case a priest – and the witnesses must all sign a civil document called the Marriage Registration Form. This form is issued by a local registrar and the completed one must be returned to a registrar before a marriage certificate can be obtained.

[babygene]

A logical and very predictable outcome. Coming soon to a parish near you...

[Bogey78O]

Give the people what they want. Give it to them good and hard.

[Balding_Eagle]

They still will be forced to preform the non-civil ceremony in the church.

Just await and see.

[Viennacon]

“will not officially be married by the church ceremony.”

Ummm, yes they will. This is the only official part, the state stuff is the BS.

Dont expect the Church in America to do the same

[Darren McCarty]

Time for a wall of separation between marriage and state.