Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 11/30/2009

Question
Father, my fiancee and I are planning to be married in August.  We were going to have an EF wedding complete with a EF mass.  Both of our families are Protestant as we converted in College to Catholicism and so neither one was thrilled about our choice but firmly believed it should be our choice and were supportive.  Now her family is expressing serious regrets, especially her mother, and is strongly urging, borderline demanding, that we do not have a "Latin mass."  We foresaw this and so were prepared to have an OF mass for our wedding out of charity toward our families (we are still discussing having part of the mass in Latin) but we would still very much like to retain the EF exchange of vows and marriage ritual.  Is it possible to have an OF wedding mass with the EF rite of marriage in the appropriate places of the mass replacing the OF rite of marriage.  So that would be having the EF exchange of vows in the middle of the OF mass and the EF blessing following the "Pater Noster" and the EF final blessing at the end.  Is that possible?

Answer
Dear Adam:
Thanks for the question.
Congratulations on coming into the fullness of communion in the Catholic Church established by Jesus Christ, and I wish you every blessing in living out the vocation of the Sacrament of Marriage by the Grace of God.  I also pray for you to have much strength in light of the difficult circumstances that mixed religion families inevitably bring about.
In my opinion, and understanding of the "Motu Proprio" issued by Pope Benedict XVI in 07/07/07 one has the right to request the celebration of all the Sacraments (though Holy Orders is not mentioned in the document), which would certainly include marriage, in the Extraordinary Form.  Moreover, there seems to be a generosity in foreseeing the "mixing" of certain rites and elements of the OF & EF as a means of "mutual enrichment."  This would seem to mean that any valid and approved "rite of marriage" (of the Latin Rite) may be used for the exchange of vows and blessing for the wedding ceremony between Latin Catholics.
I can't guarantee that any particular Priest will grant your request, as some (many?) may not, due simply to their own prejudice or small-mindedness (in spite of the MP); but it would certainly seem to me to be permissible to have the exchange of vows, etc. done from the earlier form of the "Roman Ritual" found in the "Collectio Rituum," as this had eccelsiastical approval when issued, even an approved translation in English.  It is a valid and approved rite for marriage in the Latin Church (meaning here not just language, but Canonical designation of those who are western, as opposed to eastern, Catholics).
I guess that you just need to ask the Priest who will be performing the ceremony.  It is a beautiful rite, with the wrapping of the hands of the couple in the stole of the Priest, etc.  I wish you the best of luck, and I would be interested to know the sort of response you get...

I forgot to add: technically we are not dealing here with an issue of two different "rites"; rather, in the language of the MP, the Holy Father made it clear that there is only ONE LATIN RITE with 2-usages, the OF and the EF.

Fr. Timothy Johnson