Roman Catholics desiring to be officially and legally married in Bali have several governmental requirements that must be met to allow such weddings to take place. Catholic Foreigners are required to present proof of non-encumberment, demonstrating that both the bride and groom are free to marry and not currently married to someone else.
By Indonesian law, both parties must prove they are baptized members in good standing of the Roman Catholic Church. In Bali, advance contact with a local Catholic Church’s pastor is almost mandatory and often includes pre-wedding counseling sessions.
Assuming all requirements are met, foreign Roman Catholic brides and grooms wishing to officially “tie the knot” in Bali should note that the Most Reverend Bishop Silverster Tung Kiem San (pictured) in Denpasar has issued a decree requiring that all Catholic weddings must take place in a “consecrated place of worship.”
While many leading resorts and hotels in Bali have built elaborate and luxurious wedding chapels, Catholic couples seeking to be wed with the Church’s official approval are barred from saying “their official I do’s” in the hotel’s wedding chapel.
The pastoral letter issued by Bishop Silverster Sen was explicitly sent to end the popular trend among local Indonesian Catholics and Foreigners of staging weddings on the beaches, hilltops, and other exotic non-church venues.
The Diocese of Denpasar, under Bishop Sen’s purview, covers an extensive territory that includes Bali, Lombok, and Sumbawa.
The most recent prelate letter reinforces and repeats an earlier decree issued in April 2015
Certain parties, including hotels, resorts, private villas, wedding organizers, and restaurants, have not enthusiastically received the prohibition on non-traditional locales for Catholic wedding ceremonies.
Bishop San stressed the sacredness of the wedding ritual. He released his decree on the sidelines of the national conference of the Catholic Guidance General Directorate, a body that is part of the Ministry for Religious Affairs (Bimas Katolik Kemenag RI).
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