Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 5/4/2011

Question
QUESTION: My husband and I were married in a protestant church (because we were both protestants). We both were converted and are both baptized Catholics. We have been going to Confession and receiving Holy Communion for the past 20 years. We have never had our marriage blessed. No one told us this was necessary. Are we in trouble?

ANSWER: Hi, Myrna:

Probably not in trouble...
It is hard to know the exact circumstances, based upon your description.  Am I to assume that neither one of you was baptized when you got married in a protestant wedding ceremony?
Was it the first marriage for each one of you?
It surprises me that this would not have been looked into at the time you were being received into the Catholic Church.
If the marriage was lawful and valid; then, when you were each baptized, and the bond perdured, it was raised to the dignity of a Sacrament.
I suppose if there had been previous marriages, you would need to present the circumstances to your local parish and possibly marriage tribunal to look into it.  If no previous marriages, there is nothing more to investigate.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We were both baptized in protestant churches. He was Methodist, and I was Assembly of God Pentecostal. When we became Catholic, we were also baptized--something called a "conditional" baptism--in case our baptism was not valid. There were no previous marriages--it was the first marriage for both of us. So--we're OK? Our children had raised some questions about out marriage when they learned the rules for their own upcoming nuptials.

Answer
Hi, Myrna:
Thanks for the follow-up question; and Happy Easter!
In my first response, I did not mean to express surprise that you had not looked at the issue of marriage circumstances; rather, that those assisting you in the matter of reception had not brought up the issue.  I will assume that they probably did look into the matter, and either did not communicate it to you, or you just don't remember this.
It is good that the previous Baptisms of both you and your husband were investigated: Probably a Methodist Baptism was most likely valid, if baptized "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"; however, Assembly of God can be a real question of validity, since they baptize "In the name of Jesus." (Is that correct?)
Conditional Baptism is important if there exists any real doubt about the validity of any previous "baptism."
So I would say, "YES. You're situation now is OK."
I would encourage you to see the matter as something deeper than mere "rules" of the Catholic Church, as they pertain to the determination of validity of sacramental realities that either existed or did not.  I am happy to see that your children are getting good guidance in entering upon their own celebrations of Sacramental Nuptials.  These are very important matters.
I wish you all the very best of God's rich blessings!

Fr. Timothy Johnson