Catholic Weddings

Help.

So I've posted in the past about what little help our Officiant has been. Here's another issue, we just found out that he's no longer our Officiant as he's been moved to a different parish. As well, he's leaving the country for all of July and won't be serving the Parish come August. He promised to get our marriage papers in before then. He also just informed us 3 months before the wedding that we need a recent baptismal certificate for my FI. We gave him the original copy 10 months ago and he made a photocopy and said that was fine. We now learned a new copy must be issued 6 months prior to the wedding. So I would have really appreciated knowing this atleast 3 months ago so I could prepare! My FI was baptised in the Philippines in a rather rural area 27 years ago! For the past 4 days we've been stalking the Parish and the Diocese by phone and email just trying to get through to someone! No one has returned our emails. The phone at the Parish reponds with "this number has been blocked administratively", and we're pretty sure we get through to the Diocese but no voicemail or anything it just beeps and beeps.

I'm frustrated. As well, there's a mail strike in my city so no ground mail in or out. The Father from our Parish here said the church would accept a fax copy but I'm not sure I even trust this considering everything he's told me has been incorrect!

So I'm asking for help to locate a new baptism certificate internationally. How do I go about doing this?

Re: Help.

  • edited December 2011
    I would enlist the help of someone you trust -- perhaps get in touch with another priest or someone at the diocese where you live now. Continue to try to get the church in the Phillippines to issue a new copy, but also ask your new, trusted helper if his freedom to marry can be determined by affidavit, given the circumstances, and that you have his proof of baptism.

    Do not turn it into a priest-bashing situation with others (venting here is fine, but being calm will win you points with other priests/diocesan people). Calmly explain the situation and ask for their help and advice. Pray, pray, pray and know that God will make things work out in the end. I will pray for you to this end.
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  • sarah0632sarah0632 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I've already contacted another Father and asked him to help us with our marriage preparation. I have not said a word about the Father who was/is currently helping us because it really won't do me any good. (But yes I come to the knot and vent :)) The person I contacted has not gotten back to me yet. We had our parent's sign and notarize a document that said we had never been married before, we're not related etc. to show thatwe were free to marry that's why I thought his original baptism certificate would be okay. *SIGH* Staying up late again tonight going through phone cards trying to get ahold of someone over seas. This Parish in the Philippines doesn't have a website or anything, it was hard enough finding the phone number :S I pray too.
  • edited December 2011
    One other thought -- this is what worked for a girl I know who entered a convent but was baptised overseas. She had a family member go to the parish and obtain the new copy of the certificate. I have no idea what the process for that is, but if your FI still has friends or family in the area, they might be enlisted to help.
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