The Pope And Weddings: Can He Officiate?

Popes rarely perform weddings, but Pope Francis has done so on several occasions. In 2014, he married 20 couples in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, some of whom had lived together or had children out of wedlock. In 2018, he married two flight attendants, Paula Podest and Carlos Ciuffardi, in an impromptu ceremony on board a papal flight between two Chilean cities. These weddings have been seen as a signal of Pope Francis' intention to make the Catholic Church more open and inclusive.

Pope Francis has married couples in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

On September 14, 2014, Pope Francis married 20 couples in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The couples ranged from ages 25 to 56 and were all from the Diocese of Rome. This was the first papal marriage ceremony of its kind in 14 years. The last wedding to be presided over by a pope took place under Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The couples included those who had lived together, had children out of wedlock, and had previously been married. These things are considered sins in the Catholic Church. However, Pope Francis's message was not one of blame. In his homily before the exchange of vows, the pope stressed forgiveness for past sins. He said:

> To spouses who 'have become impatient on the way' and who succumb to the dangerous temptation of discouragement, infidelity, weakness, abandonment, God the Father gives his Son Jesus, not to condemn them.

Pope Francis's celebration of these marriages hinted at a shift in the Catholic Church. The pope has expressed greater tolerance than his predecessor on many issues, including family values. He has said that the church is too focused on issues such as abortion, contraception, and divorce. He has also said that the church's teachings "must be more simple, profound, radiant".

Pope Francis's wedding ceremony for these couples was a way to encourage local priests to marry couples in similar situations. The pope has long emphasized the importance of family and marriage between a man and a woman. He told the couples at the two-hour ceremony that marriage was "not an easy road, it's sometimes a contentious trip, but that's life".

The Pope performed his first in-flight marriage ceremony in 2018

On January 18, 2018, Pope Francis performed his first-ever in-flight wedding ceremony for two flight attendants, Paula Podest Ruiz and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga. The couple, who had a civil union eight years prior, asked the Pope to bless their marriage while on a flight between two Chilean cities, Santiago and Iquique. However, the Pope surprised them by offering to officiate their wedding right there on the plane.

At 36,000 feet, Pope Francis joined the hands of the couple and asked if they wanted to continue being together for the rest of their lives. The ceremony was witnessed by Ignacio Cueto, the president of Latam Airlines, who was on board the flight. An improvised marriage certificate was signed by the Pope, the couple, Cueto, and a bishop who was also on the flight.

Speaking about the experience, Paula Podest Ruiz shared the priceless feeling of being married by the Pope on a flight. She also revealed that the Pope told her that he has married 40 couples before but never on a flight. The couple's story began on a flight where they first met, and it came full circle with their wedding ceremony in the sky.

This unique wedding performed by Pope Francis is a reminder of his efforts to make the Catholic Church more open and inclusive. His willingness to marry a couple with a non-traditional background, including having a child out of wedlock, sends a powerful message of compassion and acceptance. The Pope's actions also encourage local priests to emulate his example and embrace similar couples within their congregations.

Popes rarely officiate weddings, usually to emphasise the importance of family

Popes rarely officiate weddings, and when they do, it is usually to emphasise the importance of family. Pope Francis, for example, married 20 couples in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican in 2014. Some of these couples had lived together, had children out of wedlock, or had been married before—all of which are considered sins in the Catholic Church. However, Pope Francis's message was not one of blame; instead, he stressed forgiveness for past sins.

In another instance, Pope Francis married two flight attendants, Paula Podest and Carlos Ciuffardi, during a flight between two Chilean cities in 2018. The couple had a civil union eight years prior and were supposed to have a religious ceremony, but their parish church in Santiago was heavily damaged in the 2010 earthquake. When they asked Pope Francis to bless their marriage, he offered to marry them instead.

Before Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II was the last pope to publicly perform the rite of marriage when he wedded eight couples in 2000. This was done as part of the Jubilee for Families, an event that focused thematically on the gift of children and the harm of abortion. Similarly, in 1994, Pope John Paul II presided over a public wedding ceremony for the International Year of the Family, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.

These rare instances of popes officiating weddings often carry a symbolic message about the place of family in society and the Catholic Church's evolving stance on issues like divorce, remarriage, and cohabitation.

Pope Francis has married couples who have lived together and had children

Popes can and sometimes do perform wedding ceremonies for couples. While it is rare, Pope Francis has married at least 40 couples during his papacy, including 20 couples in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on September 14, 2014. Some of these couples had already been living together and had children, which remains a sin in the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis's decision to marry these couples signals his intention to make the Catholic Church more open and inclusive. In his homily before the exchange of vows, the pope stressed forgiveness for past sins, telling the brides and grooms:

> "To spouses who 'have become impatient on the way' and who succumb to the dangerous temptation of discouragement, infidelity, weakness, abandonment, God the Father gives his Son Jesus, not to condemn them."

Pope Francis has also expressed tolerance on other issues that are traditionally taboo in the Church, such as abortion, conception, homosexuality, and divorce. He has warned that the Church has become too focused on these issues and that its teachings "must be more simple, profound, radiant".

By celebrating the marriages of couples who had lived together and had children, Pope Francis sent a powerful message not only to those couples but to the rest of the world, indicating that the Catholic Church is changing from the top down.

The Pope's marriage celebrations hint at changes for the Catholic Church

Pope Francis has been sending hints about the changing nature of the Catholic Church through his wedding celebrations. On two separate occasions, the Pope has married couples who might have been shunned by the Church in the past.

In September 2014, Pope Francis married 20 couples in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Some of the couples had lived together before marriage, and one couple had a child out of wedlock. All of these things are considered sins in the Catholic Church. However, the Pope's message was not one of blame. Instead, he stressed forgiveness for past sins and encouraged local priests to follow his example. This celebration sent a powerful message of inclusion and openness, indicating a shift in the Church's stance on issues like abortion, contraception, and divorce.

In another unprecedented move, Pope Francis married two flight attendants, Paula Podest Ruiz and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga, aboard his papal plane while flying between two Chilean cities in January 2018. The couple had a civil union but had not had a religious ceremony due to their parish church being damaged in an earthquake in 2010. The Pope's willingness to officiate their wedding, despite the unique setting, further emphasized his message of compassion and adaptability within the Catholic Church.

These marriage celebrations presided over by Pope Francis suggest a shift towards a more inclusive and forgiving Catholic Church. The Pope's actions challenge traditional Church teachings on divorce, remarriage, and cohabitation, signaling a new openness to including individuals who might have previously been excluded. While major changes regarding certain topics, such as gay marriage, are not expected, Pope Francis is undoubtedly shaping a more flexible and compassionate Catholic Church.

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