Re: Dual Marriage Question

["readysetgo95814" <mcortez@...>]

I believe there is a distinction between a Dispensa and an 
Información Matrimonial.  The dispensa was issued by the
bishopric.  
In the case of Los Altos the bishopric was in Guadalajara.  The 
dispensa was a permission to marry.  The Información Matrimonial
was 
an investigation and once that was satisfied I don't think it always 
resulted in a dispensa, but correct me if I am wrong. Also the 
Información Matrimonial was conducted by the local parrish.  Both 
documents contain a wealth of information.  I have an Información 
Matrimonial that covered the life of one of my ancestors in great 
detail. It talks about where she was born, when she first married, 
widowed, and where she resided until she married (my ancestor) for 
the second time.  I have a dispensa from 1735 for another couple that 
is 21 pages long.  They needed the dispensa because they were related 
to one another and the witnesses name the couple's ancestors four 
generations back!  It was quite a find.

Maria

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Pacorro73@a... wrote:
> In a message dated 27/12/2004 08:59:35 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, 
> jonathan@m... writes:
> Joseph wrote:
> 
> - Well I guess i'm not much help but 
> > what the priests were suppose to do when someone from another 
parish 
> > came to be married in the church they were suppose to contact 
that 
> > parish to make sure they were in good standing. [Note: Can anyone 
else 
> > confirm what I just said. I am pretty sure I read that some place 
maybe 
> > in George Ryskamp's Book].
> > 
> 
> Ryskamp, does talk about the pre-marriage investigations, in chapter
> 10, page 193 of his book.  Usually the results, of such 
investigations
> were kept in the "informaciones matrimoniales" or the "diligencias
> matrimoniales"
> I can also confirm that when one or both of the pretenzos (novios) 
were from 
> different parroquias or jurisdicciones, verification of their 
identities, 
> ages, parentage, and if necessary, deny or confirm any possible 
parentesco, which 
> would result in a "dispensa matrimonial."  Those would then provide 
their 
> common ancestry which could go back another four generations, 
sometimes on many 
> different lines and families.
> 
> Based on the types of questions they always asked, which were based 
on a 
> canon of morality and conduct, the church would investigate if 
the "parentescos de 
> afinidad por copula licita" or 'ilicita;" kinship of affinity via a 
licit 
> "copulation" or an illicit "copulation."  This was discovered 
through an 
> "interview," or rather an interrogation, of the novios, their 
parents, if alive, and 
> three reliable witnesses.  
> 
> The novios were first blessed and crossed and they would also swear 
and cross 
> themselves that they would tell the truth, the whole truth, and 
nothing but 
> the truth, or be in the mortal sin...perjury under oath before God. 
They would 
> also confirm that one of the novios was a viudo, then a death 
record had to be 
> obtained and notarized in the marriage or dispensation 
information.  The novio
> s were not allowed to marry if they had previously made a vow to 
join a 
> religious order.  Or if it be the calling of their heart then they 
could be 
> dispensed of the vow, and allowed to marry.  
> 
> There were other issues but here is basically what was responded 
to:  -----
>     "...que no tiene otro alguno de afinidad por copula licita o 
ilicita, ni 
> parentesco espiritual, ni tiene sponsales pendientes con alguna 
persona, ni ha 
> hecho voto simple o solemne de castidad o de religion, ni incurrido 
en 
> impedimento de crimen u honestidad, ni ha sido forzad(o)(a) , o 
compelido/a para 
> ello como ni tampoco su pretenza: que esta es la verdad bajo su 
juramento...."
> 
> There are numerous marriage information documents, pages and pages 
of them, 
> of "ultramarinos," Españoles or other nationalities who have 
immigrated to 
> Mexico and want to marry Mexican women.
> 
> Then there are of course the ones where the pretenzos are from 
different 
> parrishes or jurisdictions, but I think that's where we started.  
> 
> Merry Christmas, though a bit belated, and a Happy New Year.  Que 
tengan un 
> Prospero Año Nuevo, 2005.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Steven F. Hernandez-Lopez.