Clergyman jailed for conducting sham marriages

"A Church of England vicar from Rochdale who carried out sham marriages to allow illegal immigrants to stay in the UK has been jailed.

The Reverend Canon Dr John Magumba, 58, performed 31 bogus wedding ceremonies at two churches in the town."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16743949

 

It's a concern when sham marriages become a problem - it means more and more safeguards that make it difficult for genuine couples to be together. Sham marriages and those who knowlingly conduct them affect others.

Since my girlfriend is a non EU national I'm naturally concerned about this

 

Were all those couples caught and their marriages annulled?

Also compassion for your plight. But on the other hand, if the relationship is genuine, you'd be able able to demonstrate it just fine; i.e. if you had the same mailing address, joint bank accounts, etc.

 

I assume if they know how many sham marriages took place then they must have been caught. It's reason enough for annulment :think: - I'll keep an eye out for further updates and post them

I have no doubt we can provide enough evidence that our relationship is genuine but there's going to be a lot of paperwork - and a probationary period of three years before she will be elegible for British citizenship. It's just an issue of security - knowing there's a three year wait and a review before she will have a "right" to remain here. Anyway enough of expressing my worries lol

There's another issue here - are sham marriages real marriages in the eyes of God? Sure they never intended to live togther as man and wife - but they still swore to each other in the presence of God. Would God hold their promise to account regardless of annulment?

 

Well... that's a good question.

 

Great to hear that he was jailed, what an abominable practice.

 

Only Catholic sacraments work (or used to work, prior to Vatican II), in an impartial, objective manner with indifference to the subject involved.

The way that I've understood Anglican sacraments and sacramentals (like marriage, confession etc), is that the participation of the participant is required. Even with something like the eucharist, if he doesn't believe in the eucharist, and doesn't think that God is really there, then God isn't, and the man isn't spiritually nourished. Similarly with marriage, though the vows may be made, if the couple don't believe it, the marriage hasn't taken place.