I've always wondered about that, as Catholics don't really care about what's happening with the civil courts, except as evidence for a case.
They have their own rules and their own processes and certificates.
Discussion
That's how I treat whatever comes out of the state.
Well, the State has its own paperwork stuff, like deciding who inherits which property, determining paternity, and so on. Keeping a consistent marital register doesn't really overstep the bounds of government, per se.
My point was more that I ignore every law and process that conflicts with my morals. So I have to spend most of my time outside the system.
The non-Catholic congregations that I'm aware of don't issue divorce or annulment certificates, they leave it all to the State. As you can imagine, however, there is no uniformity among all the different non-Catholic denominations.
I personally favor the separation of marriage and the State.
I used to, but I'm afraid countries like Germany have become so religiously heterogenous that removing the State would invite chaotic legal circumstances.
Hmm. That would be a problem, wouldn't it, as the State frequently issues nonbiblical divorces and then those people could marry in the Church and their new marriage might be invalid.
Yeah, I think the State getting involved in marriage has caused chaos, such as an increase divorce, since they let anyone to do it, as well as mucking things up by introducing same-sex so-called "marriage."
The state basically downgraded its marriages to a sort of "partnership contract".
Sensible would be to require the contract before performing the religious wedding or granting a religious divorce or annulment, to prevent chaos, but to never view the contract as a substitute for the church issuing a decree.