Q. 1014. Can the Church dispense from or remove these impediments to marriage? A. The Church can dispense from or remove the impediments to marriage that arise from its own laws; but it cannot dispense from impediments that arise from the laws of God and nature. Every lawmaker can change or excuse from the laws made by himself or his equals, but he cannot, of his own authority, change or excuse from laws made by a higher power. Q. 1015. What is required that the Church may grant, when it is able, dispensations from the impediments to marriage or from other laws? A. That the Church may grant dispensations from the impediments to marriage or from other laws, there must be a good and urgent reason for granting such dispensations. The Church does not grant dispensations without cause and merely to satisfy the wishes of those who ask for them. Q. 1016. Why does the Church sometimes require the persons to whom dispensations are granted to pay a tax or fee for the privilege? A. The Church sometimes requires the persons to whom dispensations are granted to pay a tax or fee for the privilege: (1) That persons on account of this tax be restrained from asking for dispensations and may comply with the general laws; (2) That the Church may not have to bear the expense of supporting an office for granting privileges to a few. Q. 1017. What should persons who are about to get married do? A. Persons who are about to get married should give their pastor timely notice of their intention, make known to him privately whatever they suspect might be an impediment to the marriage, and make sure of all arrangements before inviting their friends. Q. 1018. What timely notice of marriage should be given to the priest, and why? A. At least three weeks notice of marriage should be given to the priest, because, according to the laws of the Church, the names of the persons about to get married must be announced and their intended marriage published at the principal Mass in their parish for three successive Sundays. Q. 1019. Why are the banns of matrimony published in the Church? A. The banns of matrimony are published in the Church that any person who might know of any impediment to the marriage may have an opportunity to declare it privately to the priest before the marriage takes place and thus prevent an invalid or unlawful marriage. Persons who know of such impediments and fail to declare them in due time are guilty of sin. Q. 1020. What things in particular should persons arranging for their marriage make known to the priest? A. Persons arranging for their marriage should make known to the priest whether both are Christians and Catholics; whether either has been solemnly engaged to another person; whether they have ever made any vow to God with regard to chastity or the like; whether they are related and in what degree; whether either was ever married to any member of the other's family and whether either was ever godparent in baptism for the other.