The Church Wedding
Shanaz Mina, January 2009, Philippines
When you want to marry a foreign national, as in my case a German citizen, in the church, here is a list of requirements you might need:
For the Filipino Spouse
1. Marriage License issued by the Civil Registry Office
2. NSO Birth Certificate
3. Baptismal Certificate
4. Certificate of Birth Confirmation
5. NSO Certificate of No Marriage (cenomar)
6. Required Fee
For the German Spouse
1. Marriage License issued by the Civil Registry Office
2. Copy of Passport including the pages with the date of arrival in the Philippines
3. International Birth Certificate
4. Baptismal Certificate
5. Certificate of Birth Confirmation
6. Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage from the German Consulate
7. Required Fee
8. Das Dimissoriale
I just thought that these documents are already enough before marrying in church. I was wrong. A problem occured few days before the wedding date. Aside that the dimissoriale was not enough for the catholic church, the church did not like to marry us unless we have permission from the Archbishop. Why? We are marrying in a Catholic Church but my husband is Evangelist. This, they called, is a mix marriage.
Some regulations are needed to be followed. It was breath-taking for me and my husband during that time because the wedding day is already set, the invitations are already distributed, in short, everything is set. I must be honest that I did not know anything about the rules in the church about mix marriages.
For this breath-taking moments, I would like to enumerate the things which me and my husband did during those times:
1. We submitted the documents required.
2. We needed to wait days before the Archbishop will sign our application to marry in church, which we call mix marriage.
3. While waiting, we are not allowed to take any further action, me and my husband were just sitting down, praying here and there, and we went to church almost everyday to pray that God will grant our prayers, that we love each other, and we want to get married in the church.
4. At last, the decision came out, and here comes the approval. Whew!
5. But it did not end here...
6. My husband and I needed to be interviewed by the high priest separately, in a closed door!
7. According to my husband, they have indoctrinated him on catholic teachings as well as different important matters about raising a family. The high priest even asked if I am drinking alcohol or smoking! Whew! He even asked how my husband met me, why he wants to marry me, and almost all minute details that they want to know.
8. Now it was my turn. It was actually a test because I did not know the questions they asked my husband before I went in a closed door interview with the high priest. It was almost the same set of questions. Maybe the church wanted to know how much we know each other before getting married, how often we go to a catholic church together to hear a mass, and even raising our children as catholics later! My husband's and my answers in the interview, thank God, were all matching. Of course. Everything is just based on plain truths.
9. The interview was over but the ordeal for me and my husband were not yet over. We have to put in writing, like a solemn promise, that I, as a baptized Catholic believer, shall not be converted to any other religion, moreso, encourage my husband to practice the Catholic faith. We should also put in writing that our future children will be baptized as Catholics, be raised as Catholics, and will be taught the Catholic faith. So we executed everything in writing, my husband and I need to sign. We signed.
10. We were then allowed to pay the required fees and proceeded into a two-day catholic church seminar, which includes topics like abortion being forbidden by the church and other pertinent family discussion.
We were married on the day we set our wedding day, though tiring, everything came out smoothly as planned. I like to praise God until now for allowing our marriage to happen and keep our vows as good husband and wife and to be the best parents of our future children.