A Catholic archdiocese in Argentina has stated that a recent ceremony involving two self-identifying “transgender” individuals did not constitute a valid sacramental marriage under canon law and has opened an investigation into the priest who approved the event.
The ceremony took place on January 28 at a parish within the Archdiocese of Corrientes. According to LifeSiteNews, the couple claimed they were permitted to proceed with a church wedding after completing the standard pre-marriage process and receiving assurances that there was no canonical impediment because they are of “different biological sex.”
One participant, Solange Ayala, told local media, “We were able to get married because we are of different biological sex,” adding that “the friar spoke with the archbishop, and he told us there was nothing that could be objected to,” according to LifeSiteNews. Ayala also said the couple viewed the ceremony as a way to help “bring people from the LGBT community, and people who believe in and profess the Catholic religion, closer to the Church.”
LifeSiteNews reported that the couple stated they opened a matrimonial file and followed the same preparatory steps required of other couples. Ayala said the friar “received us very well,” explained the process, and later informed them that there was no objection to proceeding with the ceremony. Ayala also acknowledged that the priest “gave the blessing with the names we have today” rather than the names recorded on their baptismal certificates.
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On February 8, the Archdiocese of Corrientes issued an official statement clarifying that the ceremony failed to meet the canonical requirements for a valid and licit celebration of the sacrament of marriage. According to LifeSiteNews, the archdiocese explained that Christian marriage requires the fulfillment of essential conditions established by canon law, including the presentation of proper ecclesiastical documentation, which in this case “was entirely absent.”
The archdiocese warned that such omissions “not only distort the profound meaning of the sacrament, but can also generate confusion within the community of the faithful,” LifeSiteNews reported. The statement further announced that Archbishop José Adolfo Larregain, OFM, has initiated an investigation and is evaluating “the possibility of formal warnings or disciplinary sanctions” against the priest responsible for the parish of Nuestra Señora de Pompeya.
In a later interview cited by LifeSiteNews, Ayala stated that he was “a little distant from Catholicism,” saying, “it’s not like I was ultra-Catholic and super devout,” and added that he was “not grateful to the Church.” He also said he was surprised by how the situation was handled, claiming that the couple felt “so protected in the Church that they kind of avoided us crossing paths with other people who might have made us feel bad.”
LifeSiteNews noted that the situation has raised concerns about confusion surrounding Church teaching on marriage and human identity. Sacred Scripture affirms that sexual difference is rooted in God’s creative will: “male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27), a truth reaffirmed by Christ (Mt 19:4). The Catholic Church teaches that sacramental marriage is ordered toward the union of one man and one woman and is governed by objective canonical and doctrinal requirements.
The Archdiocese of Corrientes emphasized that adherence to these requirements is essential for preserving the integrity of the sacraments and protecting the faith of the Catholic faithful.
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