When it comes to civil affairs, the divisions of society are fully apparent -- the reality of differences in country, nation, jurisdiction, etc. By contrast, the CHURCH universal is a spiritual empire with no boundaries whatsoever. Certainly the Catholic Church would recognize the validity of the marriage of (say) King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, had they simply opted to elope to Mexico and undergo a religious wedding ceremony there -- foregoing the civil wedding altogether. But in that case, their union would not be deemed lawful by the STATE in Belgium or dynastic in the royal house, either.
However, there is one small catch: civil jurisdictions, by and large, recognize one another. By which I mean: if a Swedish couple marries lawfully in Sweden (whether in a civil or religious ceremony), then immigrates to America, their marriage is legal in the eyes of U.S. law as well.
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