THE Catholic Church has stepped up a programme to ban priests from performing weddings at the Disney World amusement park in Orlando.
"In the Judeo Christian tradition," said Sister Lucy Vazquez, chancellor of the Orlando diocese, "all special moments have been celebrated in the temple or the church. Marriage is a sacrament, and we believe that all sacraments ... must be celebrated in a church setting."
The Orlando policy was announced by Bishop Norbert Dorsey more than a year ago, but not widely published. The ruling also affects other tourist spots in Florida, as well as in Las Vegas.
Sister Vazquez has written to her fellow chancellors in every diocese in the United States advising Catholics of the Orlando policy prohibiting local and visiting priests from performing the ceremony at the park.
More than 1,700 couples will be married this year in Walt Disney World's Wedding Pavilion, but none by Catholic priests.
The policy has caused isolated problems among couples who arrived in Florida expecting marriage by a Catholic priest, a Disney spokesman said. "We've had some misunderstandings, ... It caused some hard feelings.
When couples inquire in advance, as most do, he said, Disney informs them of the policy.
Disney has agreements with most other religious denominations for ceremonies at the Wedding Pavilion, which is available for weddings or anniversary "renewal of vows" for anyone with a valid state marriage licence.
Weddings can cost from as little as $2,500 for an intimate setting for two or up to $20,000 for a 100 guest evening wedding in front of Cinderella's Castle.
That price includes royal trumpeters, a themed banquet, Cinderella's horse drawn coach, the rings in a glass slipper, Tinkerbell and the fireworks.