Does the Catholic Church believe that only Catholic marriages are valid?
No. We have our own laws about what Catholics must do in order to contract a valid marriage. Catholics must marry in a Catholic Church before an approved witness, ordinarily a priest or deacon. In the event that a Catholic marries a non-Catholic, dispensations can be obtained to contract the marriage elsewhere and with a non-Catholic minister. We do, however, respect and accept other denominations’ internal laws and regulations regarding what is necessary for them to contract a valid marriage. In most cases other Christian bodies merely require a valid civil marriage. For that reason, the marriage of two Lutherans in a Lutheran Church or even before a judge is considered a valid marriage. In the event that such a marriage ended in divorce, those individuals would have to receive a Declaration of Nullity from that marriage in order to contract a marriage in the Catholic Church with a Catholic. If you have any questions about Church law, marriage, divorce, or the process of receiving a D
