Yes, it is possible to get married in the Choir Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica. Many faithful ask to celebrate their marriage in the Vatican Basilica, a privileged place in the heart of the Church. Yet, with a Caveat: four steps are required.
Editorial (07/19/2024 5:07 PM, Gaudium Press) Two Brazilians got married in the Choir Chapel, inside St. Peter’s Basilica, on September 19, 2023: Vanessa Tomio, 25, and Thiago Pereira, 36. The couple resides in Rome and runs a small company helping young Brazilians to study in Italy and pursue undergraduate courses.
“I really couldn’t imagine that we could get married there,” Vanessa notes, “and I was very touched because in my opinion, I didn’t deserve that. I didn’t deserve God to have so much care and so much love for a person who was still getting to know the faith and everything else.”
They got married in a “privileged place in the heart of the Church,” comments Fr. Lucas Teixeira, who presided over the ceremony.
Four Steps
At the time of this publication, getting married in St. Peter’s Basilica, implies four steps:
1- Email: Visit the official website www.basilicasanpietro.va, the first step is an email to check the availability of dates.
2- Availability: Anyone can request the celebration of a Wedding (as well as Baptism and Chrism for adults) by writing to ufficioparrocchiale@basilicasanpietro.va and following the instructions that will be provided.However, the availability of dates is somewhat restricted, as they follow the Pope’s agenda and the Vatican’s. Other details concern the dress code and music.
3- Documents: All required documentation is the same in Italy and in other countries; for this reason, the Brazilian couple had to first receive Confirmation, in addition to taking the Marriage Preparation Course. The celebration is completely free, and one can contribute via a love offering. The website also warns against using unauthorized services and intermediaries.
4- Letters: Catholics who wish to marry in St. Peter’s Basilica must produce an official request explaining the meaning of getting married in the Vatican Basilica, as well as a letter of suitability signed by their parish priest, attesting that the engaged couple are active and faithful members of the parish.
The Caveat
The dream of getting married at the heart of the Catholic Church may come true, with a caveat, warns Fr. Lucas Teixeira:
“As humans, being inclined to sin, we are always subject to doing the right thing but for the wrong reasons. So, those who wish to marry in St. Peter’s Basilica need to understand that, despite all the grandeur of the place, we must always keep in mind the mysterious reality of the Sacrament of Marriage. It transcends the visible reality of the place where it is celebrated.
“The grace of being Catholic means that we can visit St. Peter’s Basilica with all its splendour, with all its glory that uplifts our soul, and we also can enter a humble chapel, in a place far removed from civilization so in both, we can say, ‘I am at home.’ So we need to be aware that the Sacraments take place equally in both locations.
“The sacramental reality always transcends the material reality. The bride and groom who unite through the Sacrament of Marriage in St. Peter’s Basilica are sacramentally united and celebrate that sacrament with the same effect as those who celebrate it in any other place in the world.
The reality of the sacrament is the same because it is our Lord Jesus Christ who makes the sacrament take place; it is He who is there uniting the spouses to each other. Getting married at St. Peter’s Basilica? Praise God! But couples should do so for the right reasons: celebrating this sublime Sacrament in the heart of the Church, so they may know their responsibility and fully assume the mission that God entrusts to them.”
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
