Sunil 23 May 2016

urgent getting married legally in two churches urgent

Hi,

I am a Catholic and my would-be is a pentacoast. We are getting married according to both the customs.

I am getting married in the catholic church day after tomorrow. This marriage would be registered under the law.

I am getting married in the Pentacoastal(Assembly of God) church the next day with the same girl. However my father in law has told me that this marriage would only be registered in the church and would not be registered legally.

However, I have read in some threads that any marriage in the church solemnised by authority is also legal.

Am i doing anything wrong here. I am of course getting married to the same person in both the churches and REGISTERING LEGALLY ONLY ONCE.

Request you to kindly assist me at the earliest.

Best Regards

Sunil

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6 Replies

(Guest)

You can get married to this person 10 times using 10 different religious customs. For purpose of law it is registered only once.

Sunil 24 May 2016

Thank you authohide147.

But christian marriages solemnised by the authorities is deemed to be legal right?

Marriages to be solemnized according to Act.—Every marriage between persons, one or both of whom is 1[or are] a Christian, or Christians, shall be solemnized in accordance with the provisions of the next following section; and any such marriage solemnized otherwise than in accordance with such provisions shall be void.

The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872

5. Persons by whom marriages may be solemnized.—Marriages may be solemnized in 1[India]—

(1) by any person who has received episcopal ordination, provided that the marriage be solemnized according to the rules, rites, ceremonies and customs of the Church of which he is a Minister;

(2) by any Clergyman of the Church of Scotland, provided that such marriage be solemnized according to the rules, rites, ceremonies and customs of the Church of Scotland;

(3) by any Minister of Religion licensed under this Act to solemnize marriages;

(4) by, or in the presence of, a Marriage Registrar appointed under this Act;

(5) by any person licensed under this Act to grant certificates of marriage between 2[Indian] Christians.

The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872

By this when Im getting married in two churches, I am legally getting solemnised by authority twice and therefore getting married to the same person twice right? Isnt this bigamy? What if it is being registered through both the churches?

Please pardon my ignorance. Just want to be double sure not to face any legal issues later on.

Thnk you once again for the reply,.

Best Regards,

Sunil

SAINATH DEVALLA (LEGAL CONSULTANT) 24 May 2016

Only one registeration is valid legally.

P. Venu (Advocate) 24 May 2016

The second one is only ceremony and is no legal effect and hence of no adverse consequences.

T. Kalaiselvan, Advocate (Advocate) 29 May 2016

The marriage to be solemnised first in a church shall be the actual marriage and any subsequent ceremony in the name of marriage or reception or any other name that can be made as per whims and fancies of parties shall not be a subsequent marriage or a second marriage. It will be a subsequent function post marriage. The marriage certificate issued for the marriage solemnised for the first time by the church shall be the legally valid certificate and the certificate issued by the church which solemnises the marriage again is an invalid one and can be considered as void because there can be no marriage when already a marriage subsists, the subsequently solemnised marriage shall be null and void.

Sudhir Kumar, Advocate (Advocate) 28 August 2016

MArriage between tow christians becomes complete and binding as soon are ceremoney in any chruch is complete irrespectiv eof fact whether reigistered in CMA or not.

seondi/third marriage is only a drama. to sooth ego of few and to earn peace.