The daughter of a good friend of mine is 19, and was told recently by our parish priest that she cannot get married in the Church until she is 20...is that a hard and fast rule throughout the Church, or do you think it might be something regional, or even just the personal preference of this priest?

-- Lori (I@dontthinkso.com), March 08, 2005

Answers

The universal minimum ages set by the Church for Latin Rite Catholics are 16 for the man and 14 for the woman.

Each episcopal conference may set a higher age limit, but individual bishops and priests cannot. The U.S. has not set higher age limits. In Canada, the ages are 18 for both the man and the woman.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 08, 2005.

Just guessing...however while individual priests cannot change this, they must be happy that the couple are psychologically mature enough to marry as if they are not, this would be grounds for annulment.

Maybe he meant his church!? :-)

-- hugh (hugh@inspired.com), March 09, 2005.

Priests don't have the authority to make that determination either. Only bishops do:

Canon 1077 §1The local Ordinary can in a specific case forbid a marriage of his own subjects, wherever they are residing, or of any person actually present in his territory; he can do this only for a time, for a grave reason and while that reason persists.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 09, 2005.

Thank you for the references to Canon Law, etc. This girl is, and always has been, extremely mature, and she and her fiance have been engaged for nearly a year already, the parents are good friends (hers and his), they both have jobs, she's taking classes at a computer tech school, etc.

Given all of these things, and support of the families/friends, I can't see why he would object (the priest). I think that sends a wrong message to young kids, plus puts an undue burden on them. Granted, not nearly every 19 year old is ready to marry, but the objective limits are put in place, I would assume, to allow those who are to benefit from the Sacrament.

Thanks again for your help! God bless!

-- Lori (I@dontthinkso.com), March 11, 2005.

You're welcome, Lori.

Just for reference, here is the specific age canon:

Canon 1083 §1 A man cannot validly enter marriage before the completion of his sixteenth year of age, nor a woman before the completion of her fourteenth year.

§2 The Episcopal Conference may establish a higher age for the lawful celebration of marriage.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 11, 2005.