Mumbai Christian Bodies Organise Marriage Registration Camps As Govt Registrar Post Lies Vacant

Mumbai: With Christian couples facing difficulties in getting church marriages officially registered due to the absence of a government registrar in Mumbai, community organisations have stepped in by organising special camps to facilitate the process.

Church Certificates No Longer Accepted

The Our Lady of Victories Unit of the Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS), Mahim, in association with the Christian Development Association, will organise a marriage registration camp on August 8, enabling couples who solemnised their weddings in churches to obtain government-recognised marriage certificates.

Explaining the need for such camps, Bento Lobo of the BCS said that marriage certificates issued by churches are increasingly not being accepted by several government agencies.

Registrar from Pune Attends Camps

"Earlier, church-issued marriage certificates were accepted without difficulty. Now, many authorities insist on a government-issued certificate as church documents do not carry a government seal. This has become a major hurdle for people applying for passports or planning to travel abroad," Lobo said.

Until recently, couples could visit Mantralaya, where a government registrar would verify church documents and issue official marriage certificates. However, the registrar's post has remained vacant for some time, forcing couples to travel to Pune to complete the registration process. The Free Press Journal had earlier reported on the issue.

Photos & ID Proofs Needed

To spare couples the inconvenience of travelling to Pune, community organisations have begun organising registration camps in Mumbai. A registrar from Pune attends these camps on designated dates to process applications.

As part of the procedure, couples must first get their church marriage certificates authenticated by the Archbishop of Bombay, the highest authority in the city's Roman Catholic hierarchy. In cases where the marriage took place years ago but was never registered with the government, fresh certificates must be obtained from the respective church.

Applicants are also required to submit the authenticated church certificate along with supporting documents, including wedding photographs and other government-issued identity proofs.

A member of the community said the camps have assumed greater significance in view of discussions around measures such as the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

"We advise people to keep all their documents in order, whether in the context of the Uniform Civil Code or the National Register of Citizens. Having properly registered marriage documents is important," said Lobo.

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