[newberger]

Does this mean that for non-catholic Christians who enter
marriage with the right intent (covenant, etc), the marriage
is sacramental even if they don't think of it that way or
even use the term (e.g. Baptists)?

[Mad Dawg]

You didn't ask me, but when has THAT been known to keep me quiet.

I would venture to say, without any color of authority, that a marriage entered into with the intention that it be lifelong and all the rest of it, (love, cherish, inconditional, forsaking all others -- which isn't as much about old girl-friends as it is about this relationship taking priority over all other) AND understood as being a covenant within the covenantal framework of the work of Christ and so forth would be a valid or real marriage and would be part of the stream of Grace - both receiving and conveying grace.

However, there's a sort of plene esse (fullness of being?) which is promised (or the avaialability/accessability is promised) to couples in the Church which is not necessarily guaranteed to those outside the Church. (And I mean no offense but I think the Catholic Church also has a unique plene esse of "Churchness")

God showers grace where He will, He doesn't consult me, and He's "not a tame Lion", so I am uncertain about saying where He does NOT shed grace. But He is faithful and true and has promised certain graces in certain contexts under certain conditions.

I trust I make myself obscure.

[sitetest]

Dear newberger,

The Catholic Church assumes that marriage between two non-Catholic baptized persons is sacramental, unless shown otherwise.

For non-Catholic Christians who are received into the Catholic Church after having been divorced from another non-Catholic Christian, the Church requires a declaration of nullity of the previous marriage(s) before permitting the convert to marry in the Church. This is precisely because the Church recognizes the validity of non-Catholic Christian marriage.


sitetest