Q. Why must a Catholic wedding must take place in a church? A priest is allowed to say Mass in places other than a church, why not a wedding Mass?
A. A general principle of sacramental theology within Catholicism is that the celebration of a sacrament should take place in a sacred place, such as a parish church or a shrine.
This principle is just that, a principle, not a strict rule. When the good of souls requires it, a sacrament can be celebrated outside of a church. Generally, this is because of some emergency situation, such as anointing someone in the hospital, or baptizing someone who is in danger of death. Absent emergency situations, the Church strongly prefers that every sacrament be celebrated in a church.
As you identified however, Mass is celebrated outside of a church with some regularity and not due to some emergency situation. The Code of Canon Law states that “The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise; in such a case the celebration must be done in a decent place” (C. 932 §1). The norm is that Mass is celebrated in a sacred place but allows for exceptions in particular cases when necessary. It is the priest who determines whether necessity requires Mass be celebrated outside a sacred place and the bishop who determines, implicitly or explicitly, what is and what is not a decent place.
It should be noted, though, that a priest is not able to celebrate a Mass outside of a sacred place simply because they want to, or it is convenient. It is only when some particular need requires it.
It is the same for wedding Masses. While weddings are to take place in the parish church where one of the parties has domicile (c. 1115), Canon Law permits the local ordinary to give permission for a marriage to take place “in another suitable place” (c. 1118 §2). The most common instance of this is when a Catholic is marrying a non-Catholic and for the sake of family harmony the non-Catholic wants to be married in the church of their faith. Similar to Mass being celebrated outside of a sacred place, this permission is not granted for arbitrary reasons but for a real need.
While it is possible to receive permission to have a wedding outside of a church of any faith, it is extremely rare for American bishops to grant this permission. The reason goes back to why we celebrate sacraments in sacred places. Sacraments are real encounters with God in which we receive His grace. Celebrating this encounter in a sacred place, a place that is, by its nature, dedicated to God and set apart from the activities of everyday life, helps re-enforce that what is happening is something more than a nice ceremony. It helps keep our focus on God, not the venue or location. It helps give the marriage the dignity it deserves as a joyful but sacred moment in which the man and woman promise to give themselves to the other in a unique and powerful way.
This question was answered by Father Caleb La Rue, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
