On mass weddings. There are couples who would like to be married in church but are not able to comply with all the requirements for marriage. For example, it is very common for them to have difficulty in presenting a baptismal certificate. Some do not know, whether or not they were baptized in the Catholic Church. Our parish tries to assist them by trying to contact their respective parishes for verification. However, some parishes do not answer.

If you have tried to contact a parish but failed, then the curia-to-curia or curia-to-parish communication is advised. Please request for the assistance of the Chancery Office to do this.

A Catholic wedding is only for couples who are baptized under the Catholic church. Thus, couples who are both non-Catholics cannot be married in the Catholic Church, unless they both have a desire to be converted to the faith.

If one party or both parties are baptized Catholics, but cannot present a baptismal certificate or any proof of baptism, you can request the Chancery Office to conduct an investigation on this matter. If proven that the individual is a baptized Catholic, then an Affidavit about the Roman Catholic Baptism may be issued in lieu of the certificate.

On mass weddings. What are the requirements for mass weddings?

The requirements for mass wedding is the same as that for other weddings. If the mass wedding is a Catholic Church wedding, then it should be initiated by the parish and not by politicians, like what happens in many cases.