What is the Difference Between a Sacramental Marriage and a Civil Marriage?
A sacramental marriage is a covenant before God between two baptized persons that confers actual grace – the ongoing help of the Holy Spirit to love each other well. A civil marriage is a legal contract recognized by the state that establishes rights and obligations. Both are real, but they are fundamentally different realities. One is about legal partnership. The other is about becoming a living sign of Christ’s love for His Church. ...