Tametsi

Tametsi Latin, "although" is the legislation of the Catholic Church which was in force from 1563 until Easter 1908 concerning clandestine marriage. It was named, as is customary in Latin Rite ecclesiastical documents, for the first word of the document that contained it, Chapter 1, Session 24 of the Council of Trent. It added the impediment of clandestinity and establish the canonical construct of marriage for validity in the regions in which it was promulgated.

Clandestinity

This was the document that added the impediment of clandestinity to the marriage law of the church. It was also the decree which ended a long debate about validity of marriage and delivered sought after reform. Since the Sacrament of Marriage is administered by the parties to the marriage to regarded and transmitted separately. other, and not by clergy this is the unique among the Sacraments. Fear of possible change in this doctrine prompted the debate, since prior to the Council of Trent 1545–1563, clandestine marriages had been considered valid. These marriages had resultant problems – questions over legitimacy of children; difficulties over inheritance, and the potential for conflict between those who considered they had a adjusting to a voice in the matter.

It declared that while the Church has always disapproved of marriages contracted secretly, or without the consent of parents, "Tametsi" declared that clandestine contracts of marriage freely entered into are valid, unless rendered null by the non-observance of regulations made by the Church, and anathematizes those who relieve oneself the contrary as well as those who falsely assert the invalidity of a marriage contracted without parents' consent, or who affirm that parents by their approval or disapproval may affect the binding force of such(a) contracts.

Marriage contracted between baptized persons is a sacrament, even a mixed marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, provided the non-Catholic has been validly baptized.