Is it possible for two older catholic people (76& 80) to have a
sacermental marriage in the catholic church, but not be married in the
law of the land     Please answer only if you know.
Thankyou in advance

Hi memt-ga,

Yes, it is possible to have a ceremonial marriage, which can include
the sharing of the sacraments, in a Catholic Church, and not be
married in the eyes of the law. Whilst priests are empowered to
oversee the signing of the legal documents for the marriage, there is
no requirement for them to do so when they marry a couple in the
church.  A good site to explore this issue is
http://www.americancatholic.com - they have some good resources on the
Sacrament of Marriage.

This is an issue that has often been addressed by same-sex couples and
so most information regarding this issue will be found under this
area.  A very helpful site on this question, although specifically
directed at same-sex couples is: www.buddybuddy.com/mar-prim.html -
the information is equally applicable to all couples.

Many couples, both same-sex and opposite-sex have been married in the
Catholic Church without it being a legal marriage.  I think here, the
key is to find a sympathetic priest.  After a quick word with two
friends who are both Catholic priests, the advise is definitely to
find a priest who is sympathetic to your needs and reasonably
well-versed in scriptural law.  As I don't know exactly where you
live, I can't point you to anyone specific, but I'm sure a few timely
questions would enable you to find one.  If you're having
difficulties, try phoning the archdiocese.

Another informative site that you might like to browse through is:
http://www.christiancourier.com/

The most helpful search terms I used were:
legal marriage Catholic
legal marriage church
both on Google.

Please feel free to ask if you need or wish any further clarification.

Kindest regards
milamba-ga

A sacramental marriage between two people of the same sex most
definitely would NOT be recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a
legitimate marriage.  A few Protestant churches have recognized such
marriages, but the Catholic church most definitely has not.

mvguy-ga

The question wasn't whether the marriage would be officially
recognised by the Catholic Church as a legal marriage, but whether one
could have a sacramental marriage without it being a legitimate, or
legal, marriage under the State.  Nor is there any indication that the
person asking the question is asking with regard to same-sex couples.
It just so happens that this issue is most often addressed by this
group of people.  Your comment is outside the bounds of the question
and is inappropriate, particularly given the assumptions you have
made.

milamba-ga

Oh, we all make assumptions, and I'm content to agree to disagree on
how inappropriate my comment was.  When I read the question, my
assumption that this is an older heterosexual couple who want to
married in the eyes of the church (so they can have marital relations)
but don't want to be married in the eyes of the state (perhaps because
it would adversely affect them financially).  If my understanding of
the question is correct, what they want is a legitimate Catholic
marriage (because they don't want to live in sin).  Frankly, I think
you gave the questioner the wrong answer, but I can't prove it. 
Certainly none of the links you provided address the specific issue
raised by the question.

At least that's the way I see it.  Ultimately it will be up to the
person who asked the question to decide whether the official answer as
given is worth paying for.

mvguy-ga

Again, I think your comments are inappropriate, and I would appreciate
you not telling me I have given the wrong answer in a comment
pertaining to the question. If you have difficulties with my answers,
please contact the google-answers team.

In this case, I believe the person asking the question has shown they
were satisfied with the answer, but I do not appreciate you
undermining my answers in public in this fashion.

Thank you
milamba-ga

mvguy-ga,

While I admit that I am not an expert nor have I researched the
doctrines of the Roman Catholic church, I am aquainted with several
same sex couples who were married in a Catholic church by a priest,
thereby nullifying your statement. Wether or not it is doctrinally
accepted by the church is another story and I again state that I have
not done the research to find out.

Also, I was amuzed how you made a statement that "A few Protestant
churches have recognized such marriages, but the Catholic church most
defintely has not." The Roman Catholic church is not the only religion
that has a governing body! It is my understanding that the Roman
Catholic Church does not accept same-sex marriages, but some Catholic
churches do. It is the same with most Protestant religions. Just
because a religion has a governing body doesn't mean that the churches
under it always follow the rules. I hate to take advantage of recent
news, but I'm certain that the Roman Catholic Church does not accept
or support child molestation, but does that mean that, in some small
cases, it does not happen?

Again, the question here was not whether the Roman Catholic Church
would recognize the marriage or not, but if a sacramental marriage,
that is not recognized by the State or national government, was
possible. I know that it IS possible to be married in the Catholic
church and not be legally married, including, in some churches, same
sex marriages. Regardless of personal feelings over the matter, you
should not speak of which you do not know.

I know that I am only restating what milamba-ga has already clarified,
but I felt that it needed to be supported by an outside party.
Milamba-ga answered the question clearly, consisely, and completely
WITHOUT including his personal opinion or making blanket statements in
regard to Roman Catholic doctrine.

milamba-ga:  GREAT JOB!!! Keep up the good work!

mvguy-ga: Think before you speak. Your opinions are more than welcome,
but don't make blanket statements that you can not support. Especially
when that is not what the discussion was about.