Catholic Church Wedding Problems!

I need a little help in a matter of the church and I am unsure where or whom to ask.  I just got married by a civil marriage, after our civil marriage we went to the church to set for our church wedding and the steps we needed to follow.

In doing this we was told Because I was an American Citizen and my wife was a Vietnamese Citizen that the church here in Vietnam Yes Catholic would not grant us to be married in the church until we had her Visa to leave Vietnam. As  I have been Catholic 46 years and Never have I heard of this law being  spoken of, nor have I ever seen it written.

So I ask you please help me understand this better if a law or is it just the Father here and his thinking?   We dated 7 years before getting married and we told the Father as so but he said others didn't get their visas so  there was still a chance if they didn't grant her a visa to move to the USA then we could get a divorce if not yet married in the church?

No the Father was not saying us to get a divorce but it was a option if we could not be together here or there if not yet married in the church. What ? I am shocked and confused! Is this a new law or have I just never heard this before? Yes we was planning to get married in Vietnam  in the Church but I don't know now?

The Father told us it was OK just to live together until we got her Visa for the USA before us getting married in the church if granted a Visa to bring her to the USA and I even told him if she was not granted a visa I would move now and forever to Vietnam, But he still would not grant us to have a Church wedding.  Please help in this matter if you can help in this matter or have heard or faced the same! Thank you!

This has to be an idiosyncrasy (or idiocy) of the parish priest.   Unless your wife is really attached to this parish, why not just make a lateral move to another parish and priest.   Failing that go upward to the archbishop.  Refusing to marry a couple both of whom were catholic, due to secular political reasons, must be contrary to church teaching.

Ignore that idiot priest and go eleswhere....problem solved.

colinoscapee wrote:

Ignore that idiot priest and go eleswhere....problem solved.


colinoscapee is right, find another church. I can tell you from personal experience that not all Catholic churches here have this policy.

I suggest call or visit/call the Pastorial Center and ask for Winston. He is also usually at the Sunday 9:30 mass in the Notre Dame Church. Best of luck.

Thank you all for your time and help on this matter!

After you are successfully church married, perhaps you might consider referring this priest to higher authorities for discipline.  Keep us posted.

There is, however, nothing in universal Church law that would require obtaining a visa before a marriage.  Is possible there may be some kind of local diocesan policy? Maybe.


In any event, I recommend that you contact the diocese and explain the situation to them.



Sincerely,

Theological Advisor

Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Pretty well sums it up.

he wants cash

ever notice his nice car n house?

I agree

Thaiger wrote:

he wants cash

ever notice his nice car n house?


Priests and monks in Vietnam they don't serve the Lord or Buddha. What they want is cash money $$$. I've seen monks smoking and drinking all the time. They all seemed to living la vida doca.

God accepts and ordains civil marriage just as He does with church wedding. Church wedding is western tradition and does not add to nor take away anything from civil marriage that God equally accepts and ordains. If Vietnam government accepts civil marriage so is God. That's the important thing to keep in mind.

In fact, you can totally skip the church wedding thing and have only a wedding party to please the Vietnamese public, a huge tradition influenced by a stronger desire to safe face.

Now my own take. Most women and their family in Vietnam have one particular goal---to send their daughters to America or to other western countries. So I assumed the church supports such plan because when the church member succeeds, the priests and the church benefit too from remittances. Think about all this. I have dated Vietnamese women for over two years, visited VN few occasions, and emersed myself in the culture to learn and understand the way of life.

Good luck my fellow American! Blessings!

One final comment I would make is that although a civil wedding is the only one recognized by the state in Vietnam, many Catholic families may feel a strong need to be married in the church even if it has no legal significance, in order to be married in the eyes of god.  That is what is so peculiar about a priest putting a political twist into the plan.  I would think that the priest would feel that the church wedding is more important than the civil.

Now that we have all given our 2 cents, or 500 VND, maybe it is time to sit back and let Justme71 have time to find a work around and report back if he is successful.