My cousin in a Methodist or Babtist and she is marrying into a welthy catholic family. Their church is aparently not making her convert or even go to classes. I was informed that if she is not converted this marriage will not be recognized by the church and as a catholic I cannot attend (show support for such an endevor) Is this true? Why is she not having to follow the rules like my husband and other relatives?

-- Nikki Fitzgerald (Fitz321@yahoo.com), November 01, 2002

Answers

Response to As a Roman Catholic can I participate in a wedding between a catholic and noncatholic?

1 Corinthians 7:14 tells us that an unbelieving spouse is santified by the believer. I imagine that if an athiest is permitted to marry a christian, then a catholic can marry a non-catholic.

olly

-- Oliver Fischer (spicenut@excite.com), November 01, 2002.

Response to As a Roman Catholic can I participate in a wedding between a catholic and noncatholic?

I have relatives who are Methodists, and they would be very disturbed if someone confused them with the Baptists! ;-)

-- Christine L. (chris_tinelehman@hotmail.com), November 01, 2002.

Response to As a Roman Catholic can I participate in a wedding between a catholic and noncatholic?

Nikki,

Being a Catholic married to a Methodist, I think I can give you a pretty good answer. We were married in the Catholic Church, by 2 Catholic priests (one a good friend and the other the Vicar General of the diocese). Our marriage is recognized thoroughly in the Catholic church. We had Catholics and non-Catholics alike participating in different ways. Supportyour family -- your WHOLE family. If there are converts to Catholicism, God bless them. If they do not, pray.

God bless, Missy

-- Missy Norrell (thenorrells@attbi.com), November 01, 2002.

Response to As a Roman Catholic can I participate in a wedding between a catholic and noncatholic?

I assume by your question Nikki, that the wedding will take place in a Catholic Church. Your Protestant cousin does NOT have to convert to the Catholic Church in order for the marriage to take place. You certainly may attend, now knowing that your cousin does not have to convert of Catholicism. I also assume that a Catholic priest or deacon will preside at the ceremony. I hope this helps! Only blessings, Father Silouan

-- Father Silouan (fathersilouan@go.com), November 01, 2002.

Response to As a Roman Catholic can I participate in a wedding between a catholic and noncatholic?

An example from a bad experience in older times. My mother was a Baptist and the parish priest would not allow the marriage in the Church. However he waived that rule for another, shal we say, more economically outstanding family? My mother later converted and my father, despite this slight(to his bride and family more than himself)remained loyal. I think we know what is right and wrong in following disciplinary rules a little more responsibly these days, both the couples and the authorities. There is only a question of differences that might tear the family apart or away from faith by their extreme nature. That can also happen when authorities wrongly or inconsistently put loving couples to such tests, which by the principles of Christ seems quite wrong. Support a true marriage.

-- P.E. Murphy (murky@rochester.rr.com), November 01, 2002.

My sister who loves the lord will be having a wedding in two years, she is not catholic but a christian, a follower of christ. My sister father who is a devout catholic says he will not be able to participate in the wedding, walk his own daughter down the aisle because its not catholic. This very much disturbes and breaks our hearts. Where does God say in the bible that this is true? I know Jesus personally and I know that he is a God of love and acceptance.

-- jamiesilvernail (jamiesilvernail@hotmail.com), February 21, 2005.

Jesus is a God of love, but He never accepted anything that was not the truth, for doing so would not be loving. The truth is, Jesus founded one Church for all men, and never authorized the founding of any other churches in His name. He instituted the seven sacraments, within His Church, as the principle channels of grace for all men, and ordained His priesthood, empowering them to confer these sacraments. If a member of His Church, recognizing these truths, were to participate in a liturgical celebration of an unauthorized manmade church, the very existence of which is a violation of His divine will, such an act could create the false impression that this liturgy is equal to, or at least comparable to the true sacraments of His own true Church, which they are not. I'm sure no-one's heart is broken more painfully than that of your sister's father, but Jesus said the truth would set us free, and this man apparently takes those words of Jesus seriously.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), February 21, 2005.