Michela Murgia’s marriage ‘in articulo mortis’: but what does it mean?

Michelle Murgia She married Lorenzo Terenzi in a civil ceremony “in articulo mortis”. But what does it mean? The Latin term literally means “dying”. It is taken from the church phrasebook and is used to mark a person’s actions when his life is in danger, i.e. on the deathbed. In the legal field, the expression denotes the irrefutable words of a person shortly before their death.

This explains the couple’s “unwilling” decision. Defined by themselves as “the only way to guarantee the rights of others”.

Michela Murgia got married: “We did it reluctantly, the only way to have rights”

Article of the Civil Code

Read Article 101 of the Civil Code (RD of March 16, 1942, No. 262): “In the event of imminent danger to the life of one of the spouses, the registrar of the place may proceed with the marriage.” Publication and without consent to the marriage, if necessary, provided that the spouses first swear that there are no non-dispensable obstacles between them. The registrar states in the marriage certificate how he became aware of the impending danger to life.”

Here is Lorenzo Terenzi, the actor who will marry Michela Murgia

published by the Spettacoli editorial team on May 08, 2023

When can it be requested?

Constantly scrolling through the Civil Code, under the notes of the same article: “The cases in which this kind of celebration can be carried out involve a danger in the delay which might jeopardize the viability of the marriage itself (usually at such an advanced stage) . an illness which would result in the immediate death of a person). The false assertion of this circumstance constitutes a mere irregularity of the celebration and does not affect its validity.”