Is there any rule that weddings shouldn’t be held during the season of lent?

There is a surprisingly common misconception that weddings (and according to some, even baptisms) cannot be held during Lent or Advent. This is usually rooted in the idea that these seasons (but especially Lent) are “penitential” seasons which are unfit for a joyful celebration like a wedding. As a result, parishes and even priests have denied couples wedding dates during the season of Lent.

However, this is not the law of the Church on the matter. I’m not sure where this erroneous position originated, but a careful examination of canon law (the Church’s legal code) and liturgical instructions will show us otherwise. I will include citations for those who wish to reference the original texts, but here in this article I will just summarize the key points.

To begin with, Catholics have a right to the sacraments, provided that they are properly disposed, opportunely ask for them, and have nothing impeding them spiritually or legally from receiving them (Code of Canon Law 213 and 843.1). In the case of marriage, these impediments would be things like being in mortal sin, being already married, etc. In other words, as long as you are properly disposed to receive the sacrament and there is nothing that impedes you in the Church’s laws, you have a right to the sacrament. This may seem straightforward, but it’s an important point from the perspective of the clergy, because it is the Church saying that people should not be denied a sacrament without a very clear, valid reason. For instance, if a priest were to deny someone Holy Communion simply because he doesn’t like that person, that is infringing on that person’s right to receive the sacrament.

Next, there is only one document from the Church which restricts the time for the celebration of a marriage; the document is titled Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts. This document says very clearly (sections 61 and 75) that the only times that a marriage cannot be celebrated is on Good Friday or Holy Saturday, because of the spiritual meaning of these days. Most other sacraments are also not celebrated on these days.

When it comes to interpreting statements like these which are restrictive (in this case, when a marriage should not be celebrated), the Church says that the statement must be interpreted strictly (Code of Canon Law 18). That’s essentially legal language that if the Church makes a statement that restricts the free exercise of rights, they are to be interpreted in the narrowest possible correct sense. The ordinary rights of the faithful cannot be limited unless a law explicitly does so. This means that, unless a bishop has obtained permission from the Holy See, neither a diocese nor a parish can prohibit a marriage from being celebrated during Lent or Advent.

Eastern Catholics could have different laws in place, but these would be specific to each particular church (e.g. Syro-Malabar, Melkite, Maronite, Chaldean, Byzantine, etc.–see Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches 838.2). However, those laws follow similar rules to those for Roman Catholics: unless there is a particular law which restricts the time of marriage or the bishop has received some kind of permission from the Holy See, the request cannot be denied. If you are Eastern Catholic and encounter this situation, ask a priest to show you what that law is (politely, of course!).

The liturgical instructions for weddings even specify how a wedding should be celebrated if it occurs during Lent or Advent! Why would the Church write that if marriages weren’t allowed during Lent? Baptisms are also completely acceptable during Lent, though baptisms are sometimes postponed so they can be celebrated during the Easter season. It’s wrong to deny a wedding because it would take place during Lent, but it’s much worse to deny a baptism during Lent, especially if it’s for an infant. What if the child became fatally sick?

If this article seemed like a very technical legal breakdown, that’s so that you have the exact citations on hand! The quick summary version is that weddings (and baptisms) are normally allowed any time of the year (including Lent and Advent), but they can’t be celebrated on Good Friday or Holy Saturday. Those are the only restrictions put in place (unless you are Eastern Catholic and your church’s particular laws have more specific restrictions).