Posted on 01/18/2013 3:57:43 AM PST by Weiss White
Q: An unbaptized person can’t receive any of the other sacraments unless he gets baptized first, right? So how is it possible for a Catholic to marry a non-Christian in a Catholic ceremony? I don’t see how the non-Christian spouse can be receiving the sacrament of matrimony, if he’s never received the sacrament of baptism! Is the marriage a sacrament for the Catholic but not for the non-Christian? How does this work? –Ashley
A: It’s a very astute observation! By thinking it through logically, Ashley has spotted a genuine theological/canonical quandary.
(Excerpt) Read more at canonlawmadeeasy.com ...
not really — suppose if a Hindu girl gets married to a Moslem and doesn’t convert. It can still work if both accept the views of the other
I have a friend who looked into this. Her son married an unbaptized woman. They had to get approval from the bishop, there was a wedding with a priest but no Mass as it was not a sacrament. The groom stays in good standing with the Church and there was wording in the ceremony to raise the children Catholic. In older times it was more strict. My dad was Serbian Orthodox and my mom Catholic. They had a ceremony with a priest but no Mass and dad had to sign a letter saying the kids would be raised Catholic. The Orthodox are not that far removed from the Catholic Church. He was baptized and a member in good standing. The Catholic Church now accepts the baptisms of many other churches.
We are in the same boat and are concerned about our daughter. We are hoping we can get her to talk to a priest about this so she is aware of what she may be getting into.
sorry, joe, you are wrong. Just in 2011 my wife and I organized my sister-in-law marrying a Buddhist (ok, pretty much a Japanese athiest). The Church both in Japan and here in Poland gave their blessings, the marriage is valid and the wedding was in Church with the Church blessing and the complete ceremony.
As the article points out, the marriage of a Catholic and a non-Christian is an actual marriage, accepted by the Church (if the proper forms are followed), but is not a sacramental marriage, because non-Christians can receive no sacraments other than baptism. Such a marriage is a natural marriage rather than a sacramental marriage, and thus, is not valid in the way we generally use that word in the Church.
As the article further points out, the Catholic party does nothing wrong, is not in sin, is still a Catholic in good standing, even if contracting marriage with a non-Catholic. But it isn't a valid sacramental marriage.
sitetest
Your post is correct in some areas, but wrong in many others. For example:
However being married to an unbeliever is one of the many grounds (psychological abnormality, stubbornness, etc.) for possible annulment
Wrong. A marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person is not a sacrament. The church says (based on a passage in Paul) that such a marriage can be dissolved for a grave reason, like if the unbaptized party makes it impossible for the Catholic to practice his faith.
Where dissolution is allowed, it is divorce, not annulment.
And that makes it okay? Are you serious at all? How many divorced and remarried people in your congregation? Your "reformation" is what reduced marriage from a sacred covenant to a mere church-recognized contract. If you dispute that, study up on what Luther and Calvin had to say on the subject.
water; except in case of absolute necessity
Wrong again; water is always required.
But pressed more precisely, “intending to do what the Church does” in baptism would exclude almost all Baptists and Protestants from having been “properly baptized,” as they do not intend baptize in order to have sins forgiven
Wrong again. Sacramental intent in baptism consists in intending to administer Trinitarian Christian baptism. Belief in a specific theology of baptism is not required. For a cogent discussion of this, see this essay
You wrote:
“a catholic cannot have a catholic ceremony if marrying a non catholic...”
Actually I think they can. They just can’t have a Mass. They can still have the marriage ceremony.
Canon Laws on marriage really are not created by dioceses. All of them follow the same Code of Canon Law.
Here is the answer to all... from Catholic Answers,
The question was about canon law and the role of the local ordinary in granting the request....
The local ordinary is the bishop. He must give permission for a Catholic to marry a non-Catholic. The Catholic party must promise to do all in his or her power to raise the children Catholic. The non-Catholic party must be informed of this promise at an appropriate time. The Catholic party also must declare that he or she is prepared to remove and dangers of defecting from the faith. Notice it is the Catholic that is doing the promising. The Church is trying to protect the Catholic faith of the Catholic and any children that may come along.
A dispensation may be granted by the local bishop, on a case by case basis, to allow the marriage celebration to occur in a place other than a Catholic Church.
You should contact your priest who will assit you in getting the necessary permissions and dispensations.
The decision is with the local bishop. As stated above it is a case by case decision. Your local bishop may allow what the next bishop may not...
In contradiction. Thereby again religion falls for love. All religions which demand such restrictions fall that way.
it is still a valid marriage, not a sacrament for the non-Catholic side.
Vlad is correct, though all of the Catholic-nonCatholic marriages I've been for, have been with a mass. This was probably the dispensation that joe was referring to
It is a real, natural marriage.
It is not a valid sacramental marriage. It is not a valid Catholic marriage. The sacrament didn't happen. Not for the non-Catholic, not for the Catholic.
sitetest
But I bet your Presbyterian mother was baptized and is a Christian. This was about a non-Christian.
LDS = Mormon, correct?
RC = Reformed Calvinist — correct?
The Catholic Church has many rites, among them, the Latin rite, which most people mistakenly call the Roman rite.
Is your lack of knowledge of Catholicism showing?
And many non-Catholic spouses eventually do join an RCIA class and become Catholic.
We have had many such cases at our RCIA class.
The assertion to which I was responding was that a Catholic cannot marry a non-Catholic - not that a Catholic cannot marry a non-Christian.
I never claimed to be an expert on Catholicism. I've dated Catholic women, and I make certain judgements based on that. I've seen the attitude of Catholics at FR and it does nothing but confirm it.
If you have a problem with my prejuduces, take it up with Eric Holder.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.