[defconw]

Not must, just preferred. Because the way it was explained to me when I married a non-Catholic, was that I would be excluding my husband from half of the wedding Mass. He would not be able to participate, so... Not the best way to start our union.

It made sense. I suppose if you really want a Mass you can have one. My priest preferred to only do a Mass when both were Catholic. The only thing left out is of course the Eucharist, but my husband could not receive any way.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

Did he ever consider becoming a Catholic?

BTW-—for the benefit of others, I LOVE my Church and my faith, even if I don’t always agree 100% with some of its policies.

The compulsory clerical celibacy policy, for example, was imposed much later in Church history and for reasons that have nothing to do with anything which can be found in the Holy Bible. Pope Francis himself has stated as much.