My wife to be was born into a Catholic family. She followed all the rites and rituals of the church. She met me and I introduced her to my church, Protestant. She wants to leave the RCC and come to my church, but her parents want her to marry in the RCC.

I dont also agree with much of the teaching of the RCC. Would the RCC then marry us, just to grant the wishes of her parents.

Thank you Nolan

-- Nolan Naicker (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), July 20, 2004

Answers

There are two possibilities. First, your fiancee actually is Catholic, in which case she is marrying a non-Catholic, in which case she AND the non-Catholic - you - would have to promise to raise the children of that marriage in the holy Catholic faith. Are you prepared to do that? Or, secondly - and it sounds to me like this is the case - your fiancee has already renounced the true Church of God, in which case she is no longer actually Catholic, and the Catholic Church will not marry two non-Catholics.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 20, 2004.

Paul,

At least part of your answer is incorrect. Look at canon 1125. The Catholic party, and only the Catholic party, is asked to make a promise - and that promise is to "do all in their power" that the children are raised Catholic. The other party is simply informed.

As to the original question it would probably be a judgment call on the part of the priest. If it were me I would have a hard time agreeing to perform the wedding. It would be tantamount to a sacrilege.

Hope that's helpful.

-- Fr. Mike Skrocki, JCD (cand) (abounamike@aol.com), July 20, 2004.

Thanks Father,

It might be good to post the requirements of Canon 1125 here, for the sake of clarity for Nolan ...

When a Catholic marries a non-Catholic ...

1. the catholic party is to declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith, and is to make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power in order that all the children be baptized and brought up in the catholic Church;

2. the other party is to be informed in good time of these promises to be made by the catholic party, so that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and of the obligation of the catholic party

3. both parties are to be instructed about the purposes and essential properties of marriage, which are not to be excluded by either contractant.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), July 20, 2004.

nolan, perhaps i misunderstand what you mean by RCC, but i think you mean the Roman Catholic Church. we are members of the CATHOLIC CHURCH here, not any roman church.

what you refer to is the latin (aka roman) RITE of the Catholic church. you may refer to us as simply catholic.

-- paul h (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), July 20, 2004.