Questions about wedding in Philippines - Possible Catholic church wedding

[jg121783 3,921]

Here is the situation I am in. Me and my fiance are getting married in February. We have a venue where we wanted to have the wedding and reception. My fiance planned on getting a judge or someone else to do the ceremony at our venue. She went to the court house a couple weeks ago and was told the judge could only marry us at the court house. We do not want to get married in a court house. My fiance is unable to find someone else to do the ceremony at the venue of our choice. The only other option we have (possibly) is getting married in her family's church. The only problem is I can only get 2 weeks off work to go to the Philippines and get married and both her family's church and another church she attends are unwilling to work with us on the baptism and confirmation requirements. In other words her family's church said I can get all the requirements done in one day but they are unwilling to schedule the wedding until after I have a baptism certificate which takes 2 weeks. The church suggested I get baptized and do my confirmation here before I leave for the Philippines. I am not Catholic so I do not understand how their rituals work. Can I just walk into a Catholic church here and ask them to baptise me? If I explain the situation to them are they likely to help me or not being that I am not Catholic? Has anyone else had to deal with this situation before? Are there any other options to find someone else to do the ceremony at the location of our choice or are we stuck having to get married in a court house? Any ideas and advise would be appreciated. This is not the ideal situation being rushed like this but it is the only time I will be able to get off work for about a year so we don't have a choice.

[AmainElvin 1]

Does your wife lives here in Manila? If yes, she could go at the Manila City hall, on the second floor are the offices of our councilors, they have their own Reverends or judge who will do the ceremony, which we call Civil Wedding. They are allowed to do the ceremony anywhere. We had the same situation since my husband couldn't stay here for like a month, he only stayed here in the Philippines for two weeks due to his work. We had our Civil Wedding last May 8, 2015 at Max's Restaurant. Good luck to you guys and best wishes!

[Brassballs 48]

Since Lisa can't find a parish willing to bend the rules (even with some compensation???) have her visit a non-Catholic (other than INC) church and ask the pastor to officiate at the venue of your choice.

In SJDM, Bulacan, the mayors designated official civil ceremony pastor officiated at our civil wedding conducted in the neighborhood. She may want to see if there is a pastor versus judge sanctioned to conduct marriages.

What definitely complicates your getting married in a Catholic church is being non-Catholic. Becoming Catholic, anywhere, requires approximately 6 month study course (RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) before being baptized on Easter Eve.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Brassballs

[Pythos1 24]

This is of interest to me as well. My fiancee has her heart set on a Church wedding in her province. We intend to get married in the US first, and later in the Philippines for her benefit. She knows I am not Catholic, nor will I ever become one, and she says that is not a problem. However, from things I've read here and elsewhere, a Catholic priest will not marry a Catholic paritioner to a devout non-Catholic.

Will my refusal to be baptized Catholic prevent her heart's desire of a Church wedding in her province?

edit: I am an evangelical Protestant Christian, just for clarification.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Pythos1

[jg121783 3,921]

Since Lisa can't find a parish willing to bend the rules (even with some compensation???) have her visit a non-Catholic (other than INC) church and ask the pastor to officiate at the venue of your choice.

In SJDM, Bulacan, the mayors designated official civil ceremony pastor officiated at our civil wedding conducted in the neighborhood. She may want to see if there is a pastor versus judge sanctioned to conduct marriages.

What definitely complicates your getting married in a Catholic church is being non-Catholic. Becoming Catholic, anywhere, requires approximately 6 month study course (RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) before being baptized on Easter Eve.

The mayor where she lives does conduct marriages. However there are only two choices if we go that route. Have a group wedding (with other couples) at city hall or pay the amount all the couples combined for a group wedding would pay and have a private wedding at city hall. The mayor will not do weddings out side of city hall. Finding a pastor from a non Catholic church might be an option though. I told her to go on Monday and speak with the people who issue the marriage licenses and see if they can advise her on what to do. By the way she is too shy to try to offer compensaton to her church. She didn't even want to ask them to bend the rules at first lol.

[Brassballs 48]

This is of interest to me as well. My fiancee has her heart set on a Church wedding in her province. We intend to get married in the US first, and later in the Philippines for her benefit. She knows I am not Catholic, nor will I ever become one, and she says that is not a problem. However, from things I've read here and elsewhere, a Catholic priest will not marry a Catholic paritioner to a devout non-Catholic.

Will my refusal to be baptized Catholic prevent her heart's desire of a Church wedding in her province?

edit: I am an evangelical Protestant Christian, just for clarification.

Maybe, maybe not. The 'rule' says no, especially in the Phils. Same Vatican rule, but in the US Catholics marry non-Catholics all the time. We have some strange to me terminology that someone else can help me with. Bottom line is it's a legit marriage conducted in a Catholic church.

But rules are made to be broken or at least bent. Since time doesn't seem to an issue, have her visit with a younger priest at the church if possible and explain what she wants and see if she can get him to buy off on it.

[Pythos1 24]

Thanks for the information.