Why does church need goverment marriage license to marry

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I am getting married very soon. We have encountered a problem that will not allow us to recieve a marriage license from the Goverment of the Philippines in time for our wedding. The church now says, we can not have a wedding in the church, in the eyes of god. Why not?? Did countries which catholics were prohibitted from practicing stop performing weddings because the goverment would not allow the priest to marrying them? I am very confused, can somebody help me with resolving this or explain it to me? I did not know any goverment could control who the priest could marry in the eyes of God?

-- David Zeidler (zeidlerd001@hawaii.rr.com), March 30, 1999

Answers

The Church will under normal circumstances follow the laws of a government the is legitimatly and lawfully established. The state is granted the right to govern marriage according to it's laws for civil purposes.

Br. Rich s.F.O.

-- Br. Rich S.F.O. (repsfo@prodigy.net), April 03, 1999.


Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's and render unto God what is God's.

Peace And Well Being.

Jean Bouchard

-- jean bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 11, 1999.


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