"Did This Invalidate Our Marriage?" (Father Simon Says)

In this episode of Father Simon Says, Eric calls in with a question about Catholic marriage: if someone didn’t finish all the required Pre-Cana classes or missed some of the canonical steps before the wedding, would that invalidate the sacrament of Matrimony? He's worried about his own marriage because of this. Fr. Simon explains that the validity of a marriage doesn’t rest on completing every preparatory step, but on what actually happens at the altar. What truly matters is the couple’s free and public exchange of vows and whether they enter into marriage with the right intentions. He shares the three essential promises every Catholic couple must embrace: fidelity to one’s spouse, permanence of the union until death, and openness to the gift of children. He makes it clear that infertility does not invalidate a marriage, but each spouse must give the other the right to children. Even if circumstances lead a couple to postpone children through chastity or natural family planning, both spouses must still remain open to life. If one spouse were to refuse from the start one of these commitments, that could indeed raise questions about validity. Fr. Simon reassures Eric that his marriage sounds valid and encourages him to live out his vocation with gratitude. The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.