Consanguineous difference?

[Ghostwheel]

I was wondering if anyone could explain whether there was any procedural difference in a consanguineous marriage. (Catholic)

Like, did it require a longer waiting time?  Or did it require some special fee?  Or some kind of research work?

I'm basically wondering if there would be any motivation for lying and saying a consanguineous marriage was non-consanguineous.

I have a kind of suspicious case in mind.

The two mothers of the bride and groom had the same maiden surname.  The mothers were born about in neighboring townlands.  (That is, ignoring possible subdivisions)

What's more, I think one mother was living in the same townland as the other was born, when she was married.

The mothers had different fathers, so the bride and groom would have to be no closer than second cousins.

The groom had an uncle who married his second cousin, in a neighboring parish.  I only understand the relationship through the notation.  The records don't go back far enough to detail it out.

The bride and groom lived about 10 km apart in neighboring parishes.  Mountainous country.

The marriage happened in America.  I haven't read many pages of American church records, but I never noticed any notes other than for first cousins.  Very different to Ireland, where I never saw first cousins being married, but lots of other notes for other relationships.

I was thinking that they would probably have viewed relationships more distant than first cousins less important in America, due to the lesser danger of inbreeding.

It also occurs to me that the records to outline any possible relationship would not have survived, and they might have known that, in a bureaucratic sense.  That is, if formal research was required, the priest would have known it was impossible to carry out.

Of course, another possibility is that they were related more distantly than was required to be stated.

[Jebber]

I’m not particularly familiar with the American rules of consanguinity, but I believe they are stricter than in the UK.

Hopefully someone with greater knowledge will be able to answer your  question.

[RJ_Paton]

In the USA it would appear to depend on which state you live in or get married in but according to this article from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States  their primary concern is in regard to first cousins.

As to whether there was any benefit for those involved in being parsimonious with the truth it wouldn't be the first or only time its happened.

[Ghostwheel]

I am a bit confused by this, but, if I understand correctly, the only cousin relationship banned by Catholic Church canon law is first cousins.

Depending on the jurisdiction and local law, first cousins can be granted a dispensation to marry in the church.

Cousins more distant than first cousins don't require a dispensation.

I think that must be the answer, but I am scratching my head a little why I have seen more distant notations so many times in Co. Kerry.

Could they have changed the canon law in the late 1800s?  Has anyone seen notations indicating more distant relationships in Ireland after about 1890 than first cousins?

https://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2010/09/09/can-cousins-marry-in-the-church/

[RJ_Paton]

The American Chart is for Civil Law not Church Law. RC marriages (in the Uk & Ireland) involving cousins of whatever degree do require dispensation from the Church obtained through application via the local Priest.

The Laws in the UK and Ireland regarding what forms or doesn't form an Incestuous relationship are based upon the Bible where Cousins are not mentioned 

[Purpeller]

It involved payment of a fee but I don't know what, if any, proof was required that people were not related. After Ne Temere in 1908, letters of freedom were required from the baptismal parish if you were marrying outside of it.

Practically all cousin relationships required a dispensation.
See this excellent blog post:
https://trentinogenealogy.com/2019/08/marital-dispensations-consanguinity-affinity-2/