Mode of Entering a Civilly Registered Marriage in the Register
Two decisions of the Synod of Bishops had been communicated earlier regarding the blessing of marriages of members of the Syro-Malabar Church. It is understood that confusion arose in many places due to a lack of coordination in implementing these decisions. In this context, the uniform procedure proposed by the Synod for implementation in this matter is given below.
1. Procedure for Granting Permission to Publish Marriage Banns Prior to Betrothal
It is to be made clear that permission is granted to commence the publishing of the marriage banns before the betrothal and to complete it three times before the celebration of marriage. The procedure to be followed to obtain such permission is as follows:
1. The application for the permission is to be submitted by the parties in the form prescribed for this purpose. It will be available in all parishes.
2. The party that requires this permission (the first party) must initiate the process. The form for this purpose must be duly filled and submitted to his/her parish priest (first vicar), with the signatures of both parties and their parents or guardians.
3. In situations where a person required to sign the application form is not present, or there is a shortage of time, the application form may be scanned and sent to them for their signature. After obtaining the signature, the first party shall submit the scanned application to the first vicar.
4. Upon receiving the application, the first vicar shall verify the form, ensure that all the information provided is complete, and, after consulting the applicants, decide on the dates for the publishing of the banns of the marriage. He shall then sign the form, affix the church seal, and forward it to the parish priest (second vicar) of the second party through the first party.
5. Upon receiving the application form signed by the first vicar, the second vicar shall record his consent on the application form by signing it and affixing the seal of the parish. Thus, he completes the permission process. The second vicar shall retain a copy of this permission for his parish records, and return the original to the first vicar through the second party.
6. Once these procedures are completed, the publication of the marriage banns shall commence in both parishes on the dates specified in the permission.
2. Norms for Recording in the Parish Register a Marriage Already Registered Civilly
At the request from various corners, permission was granted by the Major Archbishop, as per the decision of the Synod, through his Decree (Prot. No. 1007/2023, dated 21 September 2023), to conduct civil registration of a marriage before its sacramental solemnization a church, solely for the purpose of obtaining a family visa, with the prior permission of the competent eparchial authority.
Clarification has been sought regarding which date should be recorded in the parish marriage register (the date of civil registration or the date of the church marriage) when marriages that were first civilly registered are subsequently solemnized in a church. The Synod of Bishops has clarified that, in all such cases, only the date of the sacramental marriage solemnized in the church shall be recorded as the date of marriage in the parish register. The date of the prior civil registration shall be entered only in the remarks column of the register.
It has also been specifically clarified that when parish priests issue marriage certificates, only the date of the marriage solemnized in the church shall be recorded on the certificate, and no certificate shall include the date of civil registration. Furthermore, the details of marriages solemnized in this manner need not be reported to the concerned local self-government body, as this may lead to various kinds of confusion.
Rev. Dr. Abraham Kavilpurayidathil
