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Why Outdoor Weddings Are Not Allowed

Question:

Why can't Catholics get married any other place than inside the church building?

Answer:

I think we would find it a bit strange if an ordination to the priesthood or episcopacy took place in the woods or at the beach. The reason for that is that the setting would not seem conducive to the seriousness and sacredness of the sacrament. Marriage is also a sacrament of vocation that is a serious and sacred calling.

All the sacraments are required to be celebrated in a church unless there is a real necessity that dictates otherwise (except for anointing of the sick, which out of necessity is almost always outside of a church).

The Code of Canon Law:

Can. 857 §1. Apart from a case of necessity, the proper place of baptism is a church or oratory.

Can. 881 It is desirable to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation in a church and during Mass . . .

Can. 932 §1. The eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place unless in a particular case necessity requires otherwise . . .

Can. 964 §1. The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or oratory.

Can. 1011 §1. Ordination generally is to be celebrated in the cathedral church; for pastoral reasons, however, it can be celebrated in another church or oratory.

Can. 1118 §1. A marriage between Catholics or between a Catholic party and a non-Catholic baptized party is to be celebrated in a parish church. It can be celebrated in another church or oratory with the permission of the local ordinary or pastor.

As you can see, marriage is not singled out among the other sacraments. Marriage is a sacrament that requires a respect for the sacrament itself and not the scenery around it. A marriage could technically take place anywhere, as could any sacrament. However, there needs to be an appropriate reason why marriage, or any sacrament, needs to take place outside of a sacred space.

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