“Dad’s Not Catholic. So Why Should I Be?” [Catholic Caucus]

Catholic Lane ^ | 04/28/11 | Kathleen Blease

[Mary Kochan]

I surprised our son one day. He was preparing for his Confirmation, and I felt it was important to have a heart-to-heart talk. I explained that while he will still need instruction in the Faith, that, in fact, it would become his responsibility to open his heart to the catechism and take it seriously. It was no longer just something Mom wanted. Confirmation should be something he wanted. I needed to know: Does he want to say Yes?

His first thought came out right away and I knew it had been looming for a few years: “Hey, Dad’s not Catholic — and you love him – so why should I be? Dad hasn’t said Yes, so why should I?”

Hmm. This was the question I had been dreading since my children were baptized as little babies. What would I tell them when they pointed out the obvious theological differences between their own parents?...

[mockingbyrd]

That’s not the case.

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/nuptial_mass.htm

[Cronos]

Thank you! I did not know where to get this information as our local parish priest was not really sure (I moved here to Poland a year ago and they don’t really know how to deal with marriages of Catholics to non-Christians!)

[mockingbyrd]

I have first hand experience with this. My husband didn’t swim the Tiber until the Easter after our marriage, but we still chose a Mass, because we wanted the grace and a mass.

My limited experience, with friends and such, if one of the parties is in RCIA, they often go with a mass.