Catholic Wedding Questions and Answers
Will the Catholic Church recognize the marriage of a
Catholic to someone who is not a baptized Christian?
Yes, although the Catholic party must first obtain
a “dispensation” from her bishop. The Church teaches that the marriage
of a Catholic to someone who is not a baptized Christian is impeded
(blocked) by “disparity of cult”—that is, the difference in their
religious backgrounds. (This would include marriage to someone who is an
atheist or agnostic.) This impediment can be removed (dispensed with) by
the bishop if the following conditions are met:
-
The Catholic party must promise to do all in
his or her power to have all children baptized and raised in the
Catholic Church.
-
The Catholic party must declare that she or he
is prepared to remove all dangers that might cause him or her to
fall away from the faith. (For instance, the Catholic person might
want to ensure that he or she is not prevented from attending Mass
or receiving sacraments.)
-
The non-Catholic person must be informed about
the Catholic party's promises and obligation to fulfill them.
-
The couple must be informed of the ends and
properties of marriage. (In a nutshell, the purpose of marriage is
the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of
children, and its essential properties are its unity and
indissolubility.)
You may request a dispensation through the
Catholic minister who will witness your wedding.
If one of us is Catholic and one is not, what are our
wedding ceremony options?
Other websites
Interfaith marriages
This lengthy article at ForYourMarriage.org offers advice to couples
preparing for a mixed religion marriage, with special advice for couples
preparing for a Jewish-Catholic wedding or a Muslim-Catholic wedding.
Marriage to a member of a non-Christian religion
Formal guidelines (intended primarily for pastors and lay ecclesial
ministers) from FamilyMinistries.org, an outreach of the Archdiocese of
Chicago.
Links for Couples Who Share Different Faith Traditions
MarriagePreparation.org, a ministry of the Redemptorist Order, sponsors
this web page for engaged or married couples from different faith
backgrounds. Includes an overview of Church teaching on interfaith
marriages as well as links to useful resources.
Books
|
|
When a Catholic Marries a Non-Catholic
by
Robert J. Hater
From the book description: "Starting from the premise that God
blesses all marriages, Father Hater offers a pastoral approach
to dealing with the difficulties Catholics face in marrying
someone from another faith background. How can both spouses
beliefs be respected? How can comments and even interference
from friends and relatives be answered? Tips for both the
married (or marrying) couple and parish professionals range from
how to manage the wedding ceremony to creating a faith-centered
home environment."
|
