Hmmmm.....

[Ben E Lou]

LINK (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/02/10/france.marriage.ap/index.html)

NICE, France (AP) -- Dressed in a demure black suit, a 35-year-old Frenchwoman has married her dead boyfriend, an exchange of vows that required authorization from President Jacques Chirac.
Under French law, Christelle Demichel became both bride and widow in the ceremony, which was performed Tuesday at Nice City Hall on the French Riviera.

The groom, a former policeman identified as Eric, was killed by a drunk driver in September 2002.

Demichel told LCI television she understood "it could seem shocking to marry someone who is dead," but her feelings for him had not dimmed. His body was not present for the ceremony.

Such marriages are legal if the living spouse can prove the couple had intended to marry before the other died. The French president must also authorize it.

[Ben E Lou]

His body was not present for the ceremony.:D

[Suicane75]

That opens a can of worms, so to speak.

[SirFozzie]

But per church rules, doesn't the marriage not count unless it is consummated?

Err.. Bleah....

[Fritz]

and people wonder why the birthrate in europe is so low....

[Samdari]

I bet she cheats on him.

[fantastic flying froggies]

What the CNN report does not say is that they were going to get married, then the guy got killed. Then it took a year and half for the woman to get authorisation from Chirac to go ahead with the marriage.

And SirFozzie, I believe the wedding did not take place at church, it was just a civil wedding. Church weddings are not legal in France anyway.

One fact I heard on french TV yesterday is that roughly 50 such requests are processed each year in France, with about 3/4 being accepted...

[Airhog]

what a lucky guy

[Franklinnoble]

So, can I go to France and marry Marilyn Monroe?

[Ksyrup]

Church weddings are not legal in France anyway.
What does this mean? You are forbidden from getting married in a church? Can you get married in a civil ceremony, then have a religious ceremony afterward, or is that illegal as well? Wow.

[Darkiller]

no, it means that you need to have the mayor involved to make it "legal".
Usually, after church, you go to the townhall, see the mayor, and he "validates" your wedding.

Some skip church and go to the mayor right from the start.
It's up to anyone to choose wether they want "church" or not to their marriage.

Marriage at church means your couple is accepted by God.
Marriage at townhall means your couple if accepted for the civil community.

[Buccaneer]

no, it means that you need to have the mayor involved to make it "legal".
Usually, after church, you go to the townhall, see the mayor, and he "validates" your wedding.

Some skip church and go to the mayor right from the start.
It's up to anyone to choose wether they want "church" or not to their marriage.

Marriage at church means your couple is accepted by God.
Marriage at townhall means your couple if accepted for the civil community.
Except if you are a traditional Muslim then you are not allowed to do anything in France.

[Craptacular]

Usually, after church, you go to the townhall, see the mayor, and he "validates" your wedding.


"By the way, this young lady is not my wife, but I am sleeping with her."

[Sun Tzu]

Darkiller! You're alive!

[fantastic flying froggies]

Except if you are a traditional Muslim then you are not allowed to do anything in France.
Of course not, they got to their church and get married.
Notice how we always said 'church' with qualifying it. It can be a catholic church, a protestant temple, a buddhist temple, a muslim mosque (sp ?), and so on...

But like Darkiller said, the only marriage recognized from a legal standpoint is the one done at the town hall.

[sterlingice]

what a lucky guy
Don't you mean, "What a lucky stiff?" *prepares the rotten fruit shield* :p

SI