Has the time come for the Church to look again at Marriage?

   Let me hasten to add that I am NOT referring to the so –called same sex marriage. I am referring to the many marriages that are performed in the Catholic Church which very often includes the civil part of the ceremony performed by an authorised person who is frequently the priest or deacon officiating. I also include those where the local registrar is present in the absence of any other  authorised person.
 I am not referring to convalidation which is often a sign of faith.

I have always had difficulty with the non-sacramental marriages which we conduct,  i.e. where one party is not Baptised. I question the argument often advanced that such is an opportunity in respect of evangelisation when one party , if not both,  are merely taking part in the preparation talks on sufferance!

I have seen a non baptised person seek conversion  later as a result of , or  at least after, (post hoc rather than propter hoc ?) the marriage course, though such are few and far between.
 I also think there is usually a serious lack of faith where a Catholic  marrying a baptised non Catholic opts for a marriage service without Mass.

In many nations the couple have to undergo a separate civil ceremony BEFORE the marriage in the Church.

If we separated the religious ceremony from the civil ceremony we might have more authentic marriages and  fewer who seem to go through the ceremony in Church for “appearances” sake. I realise that a Church which often appears to play “ the numbers game” will not take kindly to recording fewer marriages in the Catholic Church, and I realise that there would have to be a change, possibly, in Canon Law which at present requires conformity to civil law.  It would also  mean that those to whom the Church grants a decree of annulment would not have to go through the civil courts for  a divorce before celebrating a sacramental  marriage in Church.

There would also be the advantage of knowing that those who come for sacramental  marriage are earnest and sincere, and their preparation could take a different and deeper form.

It would also mean that church buildings would no longer have to be registered by the State for marriage.  Sacramental marriage would then be solely a matter for the Church, Better to pre-empt any further trouble stemming with the ECHR.