I'm getting married in Catholic Church & they want a baptism Cert that's no more than 6 months old. True of F?

Question

Does anyone know if this is true and why my original birth certificate wouldn't be good enough?

Answer 1

It is true that Baptism is for life, however it is also true that you require a recent copy of your baptism certificate when you are married because a record is made on that certificate when you are married.  Requiring a recent copy means that there is proof that neither party has been married or is currently married.

Answer 2

False. They can even search for records of your baptism through the head office records. When I was looking into getting married in a catholic church that's what I was told by the Father.

Answer 3

True for Catholics.

Birth certificates and baptismal certificates are not the same documents. Birth certificates acknowledge you were born; baptismal certificates acknowledge you were baptised.

Catholics use their baptismal certificates to track their sacraments. You should have been asked to provide a baptismal certicate with notations. The notations will show when and where you were baptised, received communion, received confirmation, etc. When you marry, it will be added to your baptismal record.

One of the Catholic sacraments is matrimony. Your baptismal certificate will be notated to show that you have been married within the Church.

You are asked to show a current baptismal certificate because it will be the most up-to-date record of your sacraments.

If you're not a Catholic, all you need is either a copy of your baptismal certificate or knowledge of your baptism. If you weren't baptized or can't find any records of your baptism, you may have to fill out some forms with the bishop of the diocese.

Answer 4

True.  They need an updated one to find out if you had been married before.  Like Me said, there's a space in the back for marriage information.

Answer 5

They want the baptismal certificate at 6 months before the wedding. I am marrying Catholic next July. Birth Certificates and Baptismal certificates are different. They want the Baptismal certificate.

Answer 6

If you were baptized at any Christian church, it will be good enough, but you do need to get that certificate.

My cousin, who was from Connecticut, married in Ohio, where his wife is from, and her Catholic Church would not accept the note from my cousin's current minister saying he was a baptized member. Luckily, he was born in Ohio and as this was before fax machines were in popular use, he had to drive to his church where he was baptized and get an original of the certificate two days before the wedding.

As long as you have a certificate of baptism you will be fine. If you don't, you might have to let them "re-baptize" you, just so they can be sure it sticks. ;-)

Answer 7

They need to see your certificatte of baptism because it shows the record of all of the sacraments you have received, including any marriages. It must be dated within 6 months of your wedding so that it is current. Your birth certificate has nothing to do with it.

This is TRUE.

Answer 8

false.  false.  false.  

Answer 9

I don't understand how it could be no more than 6 months old.  Catholics, like a lot of other Christian denominations have their children baptized at birth. Maybe you misunderstood them and it's can't be any NEWER than 6 months old, as not everyone gets baptized at birth.  I know that's definitely one of the requirements for getting married in a Catholic church.  They probably just want to make sure you didn't do it the day before.  

Answer 10

Your original birth certificate is perfectly valid. Who gave you the "no more than 6 months old" line?

Answer 11

False. All they need is a Baptism certificate, if it was no more than 6 months old than you would be a baby walking down the aisle in a wedding gown. I don't understand their logic. Just give them what you have.  

Answer 12

Never heard of this.  Most people get baptized as a baby, not when their adults, therefore your baptismal certificate would be more then 6 months old.

Also, your birth certificate is not your baptismal certificate.  Everyone gets a birth certificate.  Not everyone gets baptized.

Answer 13

They know that you were born.

They want to know if you were baptized.

I do not know about the 6 month old stuff, any certified copy should suffice.

With love in Christ.

Answer 14

False..

Baptism is life no such thing as validity date.

If your posed this problem write to your Bishop.

Answer 15

Yes it's true, but only if you were baptized Catholic. A Catholic baptismal certificate has a place on the back to indicate if  you have been married, and that's what they're concerned with.

Answer 16

false.

Answer 17

False!!  Your original one should be fine!

Answer 18

OK, I think you're confused.  They don't expect you to get baptized again within six months of your wedding.  What they want is a certified baptism certificate from the church you were baptized that is certified within six months of the wedding.  So all you need to do is contact the church where you were baptized within six months of your wedding and have them send a new baptism certificate to the church where you'll be marrying.  It's not difficult.

Answer 19

True, but with different wording: the certificate needs to be requested within 6 months of the wedding, but the baptism can have been anytime.

A birth certificate and a baptismal certificate are two entirely different things. Mainly, a birth certificate doesn't say that you're baptized. If you were never baptized explain that to the priest, and then there is no requirement. If you were baptized but not in a Catholic church then the date shouldn't matter.

The reason the certificate has to be recent is that, if you were baptized in a Catholic church, your baptismal church will record if you were married (this request will let them know).