if i were to be a missionary in a random country where there were only a handful of people no pastors or anything and i were to get married (exchange vows and ask for gods blessing) would i be married in gods eyes...?

i think that i would be but then again i'm not catholic so i could be very wrong...

-- kt (jc_died_4_me@hotmail.com), February 18, 2005

Answers

Your question is a variation of the old "one couple marooned on an unknown island" scenario. In this day and age, such a scenario is highly unlikely. If you were a missionary in a distant land where no Christian witness could possibly be present, and you were going to be there indefinitely, then yes, in theory such a marriage could be valid, subject to the intent of the parties to have the marriage blessed by the Church at the first opportunity. If you were coming home from the missions in a year, then you should wait to marry. The underlying principle here is that the couple who are marrying are the ministers of the sacrament of marriage, not the priest. They minister the sacrament to each other through their exchange of vows. They marry each other - the priest does not "marry them", though we frequently speak of marriage in such terms. The priest who "officiates" acts as the official representative and witness of the Church. Therefore in theory it is possible for a couple to validly minister the sacrament to each other in the absence of the usual canonical form when accesss to that otherwise required form is impossible and is not likely to become possible within a reasonable length of time.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 18, 2005.

kk

-- kt (jc_died_4_me@hotmail.com), February 18, 2005.

Well, why not to go to the nearest travel agency and try your luck in Las Vegas?

-- winston full (andwhat@youdr.com), February 18, 2005.

lmao

-- kt (jc_died_4_me@hotmail.com), February 18, 2005.