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Dear Chris Hughes I am surprised with the situation you describe and with your doubts. The Portuguese juridical system (still valid in Goa) always permitted a civil registration before Church wedding. Alternatively, it recognized as legal the marriage celebrated in the Church. The Parish authorities would send a copy of the wedding registration to civil registrar. Are you a Catholic? If you are, then youn should know about the difference that the Catholic Church makes between the marriage of non-Christians and the Christian marriage. The Christian marriage is regarded as "sacrament", while the non-Christian marriage is not. This point is debatable and some Catholic theologians do not like the distinction, but it is still held. It is based on this doctrine that the Catholic Church does not permit divorce as the civil law may do. What the Church permits in some situations is separation, or in cases where it is discovered that there were grave impediments prior to marriage, it declares that there never was a valid marriage! Hence, your civil marriage is valid, but for the Catholic Church it will become a sacrament only when you celebrate it in the Church, with a priest as "witness". TRS From: Chris Hughes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Goanet]Australian/Goan Catholic wedding questions Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear folks, I am an Australian man, happily engaged to a Goan woman, both living in Australia. We plan to marry next year in Goa. My fiancee wants to get married in Australia this year, in a registry office, and then have our proper church wedding in Goa next year. As far as she is concerned, the registry office marriage means nothing, and we won't be married in the eyes of God until our church wedding, but it will simplify the legal aspects of planning a wedding in Goa. Although the registry office marriage might mean nothing to her, in Australia (and all other places that I know of) the church recognises this marriage, and so in the eyes of God we are already married (and cannot subsequently get married in a church - except for just a renewal of vows). So I don't understand how we could get married again in Goa, and it mean anything. She tells me that she knows many people who have done this, but it doesn't make sense to me. My mother has made some enquiries through my local parish, and I believe that her enquiry made it to the bishop of Goa who clearly said that one cannot marry twice, even if the first is in a legal office and not a church. I don't want to do deceive the church or the law. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, C http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1503/teo_publ.html AVISO Esta mensagem (incluindo quaisquer anexos) pode conter informa��o confidencial para uso exclusivo do destinat�rio. Se n�o for o destinat�rio pretendido, n�o dever� usar, distribuir ou copiar este e-mail.Se recebeu esta mensagem por engano, por favor informe o emissor e elimine-o imediatamente. Obrigado. DISCLAIMER This e-mail (including any attachments) may contain confidential information for exclusive use of its recipient.If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, distribute or copy this e-mail. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender and delete it immediately. Thank you
