Canada/China: Documents required by the Archdiocese of Toronto for Catholics from China to be married in a Catholic parish in Toronto
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 27 November 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZZZ40170.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Canada/China: Documents required by the Archdiocese of Toronto for Catholics from China to be married in a Catholic parish in Toronto, 27 November 2002, ZZZ40170.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4e442d.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The information that follows was provided by staff at the Chancery of Spiritual Affairs of the Archdiocese of Toronto during a 26 November 2002 telephone interview.
The first step to getting married under the Catholic church in Toronto would be to contact a local priest. Persons who have recently moved to Toronto from another country would be required to contact a local priest at least one year before the intended marriage; the Archdiocese would normally not allow a marriage to be conducted without a minimum established link between the persons and a local church.
Both persons intending to marry under the Catholic church must present the church or parish where they intend to marry with the latest available copy of their baptismal certificates, which should be no more than six months old. The baptismal certificate, usually issued by the church or parish where a person has been baptized, would also show whether the person has received the sacrament of confirmation; confirmation can be carried out at an adult age, and as long as it takes place before marriage, the person can be married by the Catholic church. If a person is a regular church-goer, their church should be able to issue or help obtain a baptismal certificate; wherever there is an established Catholic church, certification procedures follow a certain standard and are quite similar.
If the couple has already taken a marriage preparation course, they must present a document showing this; failing proof of having taken such a course, the couple would likely be required to take such a course anew.
If either or both persons intending to marry have been married before, marriage and divorce certificates or decrees must be presented. If there was a previous marriage under the Catholic Church, it would also be necessary to have that marriage annulled; if such a marriage was annulled in China, a document showing the annulment would have to be presented. If the previous marriage was only a civil ceremony or procedure, only the marriage and divorce certificates or decrees would be required.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Archdiocese of Toronto, Toronto. 26 November 2002. Telephone interview with Chancery of Spiritual Affairs staff.
