What Makes a Mass Invalid? (Part I)

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q1: My book-study group started talking about what constitutes a valid Mass.  One person is under the impression that as long as the consecration is completed properly, the Mass would be valid. Another person suggested that even if a part of the order of Mass is omitted, or all the words are not said correctly, Mass is valid as long as intent was pure in the celebrant. Could you help clarify? –Katherine

Q2:  I have a question that I think you have not answered already! During Mass yesterday the priest, instead of using the Gloria used “Angels We Have Heard on High.”  Does this make the Mass invalid? –Luke Continue reading →

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Discovering an Impediment Right Before the Wedding

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q:  My sister has an upcoming marriage in our Catholic Church in the USA. She is divorced for about 8 years now from her civil marriage. She did not tell her priest she was civilly married because she did not think it mattered since in the Church’s eyes a civil marriage is invalid (or so we read).

It obviously is too late to cancel her upcoming nuptials since we are a month away, can she get married and tell the priest about her prior marriage after the wedding and go through the annulment process then. There is no way she can get an annulment in a month and right now her focus is seeing that her wedding day goes through smoothly.

Can annulments be done after one’s second marriage? Will she have to let the priest know since he will be sending out her marriage license? Will they now have to get remarried after the annulment comes through so the church considers her marriage valid? –Laura Continue reading →

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What Happens when Canon Law Conflicts with Social Custom?

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q:  My boyfriend and I are Catholics, living in [an Asian country].  I am 33 years old.  We have wanted to get married for 8 years.   However, due to strong cultural issues … my parents are against my marriage.  Now I had to make a decision to get married without their consent, and my boyfriend’s family is ready and very supportive.

But my parish church wants approval from my parents for marriage which I do not have.  My boyfriend’s family also approached  their parish priest, he said he needs approval for marriage from my parents.

Please can you help me to know the procedure to find out if there is any other way that I can get a church marriage or does the Church also not approve of us getting married in the church? –Mary Continue reading →

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If I Become a Catholic, What Happens to My Marriage? (Part II)

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q: I was married in a civil marriage, and we are still happily married.  At the time, my husband was a baptized protestant (Baptist), and I was not baptized.

Recently I became a Catholic.  When I converted, it was my understanding that our marriage is considered valid by the Church. I was told that my marriage was “elevated to sacramental status” when I was baptized, in an automatic way.  This info was supposedly via the expert in Canon Law at the Archdiocese…. If that’s the case, that’s great!! As long as God is happy and that’s the final word, I’ll let the matter be.

But when I repeated this to my parish priest, he gave me a strange look and said he’d re-inquire, as that sounded confusing to him and he’d never heard of such a thing.

Adult baptisms in this country are fairly rare, and no one seems to know of precedent cases: already civilly married, then one party converts and is baptized. What is the status of our marriage? –Nora Continue reading →

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How Does an Excommunicated Catholic Have the Sanction Lifted? (Part II)

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Cathy Caridi

Q: A man at our parish took the Eucharist home and [desecrated It], and now refuses to hand the Host over to the priest or even admit that what he did is wrong.  We know that our clergy are actively involved, they have informed him that this is an excommunicable crime … we parishioners are praying for a positive resolution.

We don’t want to pester our priest with questions.  We know his discussions with the man are private, but we are just curious about the law.  Could you explain what, procedurally, the man and/or our priest will need to do to get the excommunication formally removed? … Does the excommunication automatically disappear once he repents and returns the Host, or is there more to it? –Meredith Continue reading →

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