Abstract

Even though marriage arises from the consent of parties (can. 1057 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law), it is necessary to preserve the canonical form (ordinary or extraordinary) for the validity of this relationship.

Assuming that the form of marriage was established in order to eliminate secret marriages, canon 144 § 1 of the current Code of Canon Law states that in the event of factual or legal common error and in positive and probable doubt of law or of fact, the Church supplies executive power of governance for both the external and internal forum.

Canon 144 § of the same Code, on the other hand, declares that the same provision applies to the powers referred to, e.g. in canon 1111 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law. This canon regulates that a local ordinary can delegate (to priests and deacons) of assisting at celebrating marriages.

After discussing the role of a marriage witness and the character of his/her delegation as well as the development of legal form of supplying this delegation, the author takes up the issue of supplying this delegation in an event of common error or positive and probable doubt of law or fact in historical context, and then provides examples of supplying the delegation to assist in marriage in sentences of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota (from years 1992 -2006), including a precedent-setting sentence in the case of Stankiewicz of 15 December 1992.

In conclusion, attention was paid to the ratio legis of the legal norm on supplying the delegation, which is bonum commune.