Q. 1. Are Catholics allowed to marry outside of the Church? There are so many nice places where one can get married. Would the priest be allowed to administer the marriage in a garden, a campground, at a tourist attraction, on farmland, on a ship or other beautiful places?

A. 1. According to the Code of Canon Law # 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."

Under C.C.C. # 1118 §2, it states that "a Bishop can allow a Catholic marriage to be celebrated in another suitable place." When both parties are Catholic, there is no logical reason as to why the Bishop should allow a wedding to be celebrated outside a parish Church. The argument for outdoor locations or places of attraction is a personal preference. These locations are improper for the administration of the Sacrament of Marriage as defined by the Catholic Church. Furthermore, it opposes the tradition that Catholics get married in the Catholic Church.

Catholics get married in the Catholic Church where the Real Presence of Jesus is found in the Most Holy Tabernacle. There are no better place to get married than in the House of God in the Presence of Jesus!