A non-Catholic with a Catholic Marriage Sacrament question.

[caseyb27]

The Singular and Covenant Role of God-parents are to do everything in there power to insure that the God-child [children] are raised knowing, understanding and LIVING THERE CATHOLIC FAITH. It is a GRAVE obligation not to be taken lightly [YOUR NOT ].

God WILL JUDGE parents and God Parents on howmwell and effectively they have done at this task.

For THIS REASON the CC gives GREAT prefefence to God-parents being themselves Informed, Praticing Roman Catholics. One who is not; simply cannot give what they themselves do not possess.

So dear friend, my advice is NOT TO ACCEPT this role until and unless you too are an I.P.R.C…

If you have other questions; I’d b delighted to answer them for you.

May God continue to Guide and Bless you!

Pat

Thank you so much for your response. I am not taking any of this lightly. That I can ensure you.I am so happy that I came across this forum. Because if not I would have not known what the CC church expect from the God-Parents. Although I am very flattered that someone trusted me enough to ask me, I am even happier because it has lead me to here. I am still not sure where here is yet. All I know is that I am very much enjoying this journey.

 

[caseyb27]

It was brought to my attention that I don’t even understand the Religon that I claim to be. (No pun intended and it is GREATLY appreciated it). I have to be truthful to myslef. I was raised as a Baptist, but was not and am not involved in The Church as much as I should have been, Although I went to Church 3 times a week, I do not think I was truely there.

I called my mom and asked her what are her beliefs to God and Jesus being one. She too told me what I was raised to believe. I have been reading for the past 2 hours and I see that Baptist do believe the same as Cotholics on that part. I am having a hard time explaining (hit the backspace way too many times) what I mean. I wish I was still in my small hometown so I could go back to my child hood Church and see if I just misunderstood or if I was really taught that. I am afraid that maybe I took a lecture and ran with it without fully understanding. But for 22 years?

I feel silly and I feel like I have wasted my whole life not truely being the Christian that I now want to be. I have so much to learn. But I feel like my heart needs this. I feel like I am missing a part of me. I am not sure why all of this is happening now and why I waited so long. But the feeling I have is so hard to explain. I feel anxious. I wish I could snap my fingers and everything come to me. Confusion is not fun at all.

 

[1ke]

It was brought to my attention that I don’t even understand the Religon that I claim to be. (No pun intended and it is GREATLY appreciated it). I have to be truthful to myslef. I was raised as a Baptist, but was not and am not involved in The Church as much as I should have been, Although I went to Church 3 times a week, I do not think I was truely there.

I called my mom and asked her what are her beliefs to God and Jesus being one. She too told me what I was raised to believe. I have been reading for the past 2 hours and I see that Baptist do believe the same as Cotholics on that part. I am having a hard time explaining (hit the backspace way too many times) what I mean. I wish I was still in my small hometown so I could go back to my child hood Church and see if I just misunderstood or if I was really taught that. I am afraid that maybe I took a lecture and ran with it without fully understanding. But for 22 years?

I feel silly and I feel like I have wasted my whole life not truely being the Christian that I now want to be. I have so much to learn. But I feel like my heart needs this. I feel like I am missing a part of me. I am not sure why all of this is happening now and why I waited so long. But the feeling I have is so hard to explain. I feel anxious. I wish I could snap my fingers and everything come to me. Confusion is not fun at all.

**Don’t be so hard on yourself. **

You love God and want to do his will. That’s the important part. Take time to come to an adult understanding of your faith-- or to clear up misconceptions.

Frankly, you may never know where your understanding jumped the tracks… it might have been someone teaching you incorrectly, it might have been your perception of what they were saying, or some of both.

So, move forward confident that God’s hand is guiding you to the truth.

 

[joanofarc2008]

Relax - as long as you are striving for a better understanding and towards God you wil not be wrong. Pray for His guidance. Hugs

 

[5Loaves]

Could it be different if this is a Spanish speaking church? I know it shouldn’t be, but it seems to be.
.

I’ve scanned through the many responses here pretty quickly and I didn’t see a response to this. I would say yes it is possible that there could be something about the “godparent” issue that is connected with this being a Spanish speaking church.

I do not mean that you or your husband could be in fact godparents for the reasons that have already been clarified for you. However in Latino/Hispanic parishes it isn’t unusual to have additional people included as madrinas and padrinos who don’t technically qualify as godparents in the Church, or even who do qualify. This is more like what others have talked about as a Christian witness, but in the Latino culture the name madrinas (godmothers) and padrinos (godfathers) can have much broader use, and many more people invited to take this role. This came up in my canon law class and sadly I’m not personally familiar with this beyond knowing that it goes on and can be a head ache when it comes to good order for record keeping. And so I’d offer that indeed this could be another part of the confusion. (Since you mention paper work you filled out, however it does sound like there is some other error going on with those in charge.)

Maybe we have others here who are specifically familiar with this .

The child being baptized would still need to have someone function as valid and licit godparent who does qualify and they are the one who would be recorded in the baptismal record.

And may God continue to bless you on your own Christian path.

 

[caseyb27]

**Don’t be so hard on yourself. **

You love God and want to do his will. That’s the important part. Take time to come to an adult understanding of your faith-- or to clear up misconceptions.

Frankly, you may never know where your understanding jumped the tracks… it might have been someone teaching you incorrectly, it might have been your perception of what they were saying, or some of both.

So, move forward confident that God’s hand is guiding you to the truth.

Thank you. I have came to the conclusion that I believed what I was taught. I never had reason to question it because it made perfect sense up until now. I have had conversations with my Mother and Siblings and I do know for a fact that we were taught that way. There is a reason that my heart is questioning some of the things that I believed/believe. I am more than thankful for finding this forum and even more for finding this Religon. Although I have known of the name Catholic, all I knew where things that I have been told and never took the time to see for myself if they were true. I feel as if I missed out on a lot, but I am making the time now. I am enjoying it very much.

 

[caseyb27]

I’ve scanned through the many responses here pretty quickly and I didn’t see a response to this. I would say yes it is possible that there could be something about the “godparent” issue that is connected with this being a Spanish speaking church.

I do not mean that you or your husband could be in fact godparents for the reasons that have already been clarified for you. However in Latino/Hispanic parishes it isn’t unusual to have additional people included as madrinas and padrinos who don’t technically qualify as godparents in the Church, or even who do qualify. This is more like what others have talked about as a Christian witness, but in the Latino culture the name madrinas (godmothers) and padrinos (godfathers) can have much broader use, and many more people invited to take this role. This came up in my canon law class and sadly I’m not personally familiar with this beyond knowing that it goes on and can be a head ache when it comes to good order for record keeping. And so I’d offer that indeed this could be another part of the confusion. (Since you mention paper work you filled out, however it does sound like there is some other error going on with those in charge.)

Maybe we have others here who are specifically familiar with this .

The child being baptized would still need to have someone function as valid and licit godparent who does qualify and they are the one who would be recorded in the baptismal record.

And may God continue to bless you on your own Christian path.

Thank you! I do believe this is the case. Godparents are called Madrinas and Padrinos and from what I am being told is that even though translated into English means Godparents that infact it means a variaty of things, like you said witness. It just oesn’t FEEL right to me. I think that although it is a Spanish speaking Church that they should still follow the same laws and beliefs. This Church is a huge Catholic Church that is mostly English speaking and different masses and classes in Spanish too for the Spanish community. English is my first language and although I am fluent in Spanish I have decided to go to the Masses in English. Just because I am most confident in my understnading there! Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut. That was a very important question for me.

 

[caseyb27]

Relax - as long as you are striving for a better understanding and towards God you wil not be wrong. Pray for His guidance. Hugs

That means a lot! Thank you. I also appreciate very much your response yesterday about Guadalupe. After I read it I went and read so much because I was so excited. For years I ignored (sorry) the Catholic religon because I was once told she was a vision that was whorshiped (not that she is The Virgin Mary). Instead of finding out for myself, I accepted that. Like I said, my husband is from Mexico and Guadalupe is everywhere you look. I took that as them putting her infront of God and that was not fair. I guess the saying “We are blind to the things that we do not wish to see” is true.

 

[Rafaela]

Hi!

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the effort you are making in getting to know Catholicism. It reminds me of my own quest, being born and brought up Lutheran. It was a long way (took me more or less 5 years) and difficult at times, but so much worth it. I finally entered the church on Easter 2007, at the age of 20.

 

[veilofveronica]

Welcome!!

According to the Catholic Church, in order for a civil marriage to be recognized as sacramentally valid by the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic party would have had to have had a dispensation to be married civilly, or to have had the marriage “blessed” by the Church following the marriage. The marriage is certainly seen as legally binding, but it is not recognized as a Catholic marriage unless these steps take place. In other words, the Church isn’t saying that you aren’t married, but that your marriage isn’t recognized as a Catholic one until those steps take place.

I know, “invalid” marriage sounds awful. It is legal terminology coming from canon law. It does not mean that your marriage is “bad” or “lesser than”; it simply means it’s not valid according to the Catholic Church.

If it makes you feel better, my parents were married in an Anglican Church. My mom had no idea that the Church didn’t recognize it (She’s Catholic, Dad Anglican) until years later when she returned to her Catholic faith. She simply had to get the marriage blessed via an official document from Rome, which the priest helped her to get. But, he said that the marriage was still a “marriage” and her children of course “legitimate”, it just was not seen as a Catholic marriage yet.

No, both parties don’t have to be Catholic to be married in the Catholic Church, or to have a Catholic marriage. The non-Catholic person just has to agree to raise any children of the marriage Catholic. I’m engaged, and my fiance was Anglican at the time we spoke to the priest (he is joining RCIA in the fall as he wants to convert now, but that was totally of his own decision.), and there was absolutely no issue with us being of two different faiths, as my fiance agreed to raise our children in the Church.

I’m actually surprised by the replies stating that a non-Catholic can’t be a godparent. Maybe my parish was just progressive, but my godmother for my Roman Catholic baptism was a Presbyterian. Granted, she was also raising her son Roman Catholic as her ex-husband had been and her son was baptized RC, but she was not Catholic herself. No one batted an eye. I assumed that a baptized Christian was what was needed. However, I could be wrong.

I hope that you enjoy the Catholic Answers site!!

God Bless you.

 

[1ke]

I know, “invalid” marriage sounds awful. It is legal terminology coming from canon law. It does not mean that your marriage is “bad” or “lesser than”; it simply means it’s not valid according to the Catholic Church.

Veronica, this simply isn’t accurate. Invalid means **not **a marriage at all.

But, he said that the marriage was still a “marriage” and her children of course “legitimate”, it just was not seen as a Catholic marriage yet.

This is not accurate. It wasn’t a marriage, period, until it was convalidated. Regarding legitimacy in canon law, your statement is also inaccurate. See here.

No, both parties don’t have to be Catholic to be married in the Catholic Church, or to have a Catholic marriage. The non-Catholic person just has to agree to raise any children of the marriage Catholic.

This also isn’t accurate. It is the Catholic party who makes the promises regarding rearing the children in the Faith. The non-Catholic is informed of the promise but makes no promise themselves.

Can. 1125 The local ordinary can grant a permission of this kind if there is a just and reasonable cause. He is not to grant it unless the following conditions have been fulfilled:

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 so that all offspring are baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church;

2/ the other party is to be informed at an appropriate time about the promises which the Catholic party is to make, in such a way that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and obligation of the Catholic party;

I’m actually surprised by the replies stating that a non-Catholic can’t be a godparent. Maybe my parish was just progressive,

“Progressive”? In violation of canon law is more accurate. A parish cannot do what canon law prohibits.

but my godmother for my Roman Catholic baptism was a Presbyterian.

A Presbyterian cannot be a godparent to a Catholic. She would have been what is called a Christian witness to the baptism. A non-Catholic may be a witness but only in conjunction with a Catholic who is the actual godparent.

I assumed that a baptized Christian was what was needed. However, I could be wrong.

See canon law:

Can. 874 §2. A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism.

 

[caseyb27]

1KE- So your are saying that my marriage is NOT a real marriage? PERIOD? I was starting to think that it is something that was required by the Catholic Church to be considered a Catholic. That is like saying that ALL other married couples from different religons are not truely married. Wouldn’t that be considered “judging”?

This is my view as of right now on this issue. I RESPECT the Catholic laws and The Church. I have yet to find anywhere in the Bible were it says a marriage has to be blessed in the Catholic Church to be considered valid. (please correct me and point me to it if I just haven’t found it yet). If I am reading right, marriage wasn’t even a sacrament until the 12th century. I understand why it is so important, please do not get me wrong. I am just having a hard time seeing why my marraige is considered “wrong” if it is not wriiten in the Bible. I have got so many responses saying “your marraige is valid, just not to the Catholic Church.” Then you respond to the above poster saying “not a marriage at all”. I said my vows when I got married. I promised to God that my husband and I would become one, not to the Justice of Peace. God was there! He knows I made that promise and I will keep it. I HAVE to believe that God doesn’t just show up to Catholic Church weddings. If not then the rest of the world married world is living in sin. I take my vows JUST as serious as A Catholic.

Is it not safe to say…to be CONSIDERED a CATHOLIC then you have to be married in the Church or have your marraige blessed. Otherwise you are not a Catholic, but you are still very much married. Cannon Law only applies to Catholics right? We should not be telling everyone else that there beliefs are wrong. The same way that I am respecting Catholics I respect every other religon. I was not put on this earth to judge.

With all that said. I do feel as if I should get my marriage blessed by The Church, but I am still not 100 percent sold on it being a must. A must to be a Catholic yes, but not a must to be a Christian or for the marriage to be valid.Maybe that opinion will change for me one day. I am only 3 weeks in!!!

veilofveronica- Thank you for your response. I have been looking into getting our marriaged blessed by the Catholic Church. First because I wanted to make sure my husband was true to God and HIS religon. But now the more that I learn the more I want to learn. I think the marriage sacrement is beautiful. But like I said I was not raised a Catholic so not until recently have I learned it is a sacrament at all.

 

[Rafaela]

1KE- So your are saying that my marriage is NOT a real marriage? PERIOD? I was starting to think that it is something that was required by the Catholic Church to be considered a Catholic. That is like saying that ALL other married couples from different religons are not truely married. Wouldn’t that be considered “judging”?

If two non-catholic baptized persons get married in their church, it will be considered as a valid marriage. Also a civil marriage between non-catholics is considered valid according to even Catholic church (that from my RCIA director whom was a Bishop).

However, when one party is Catholic, he can marry non-Catholic christian, sometimes even non-believer, but has to have permission from the Bishop for that. Also in such a case for the marriage to be considered a Sacrament in the eyes of the Catholic church, this has to be done in the church, or be convalidated by the priest.

The easiest step to take would be to go with your husband to the parish he knows, or to some trusted Catholic priest and talk about the situation openly, they don’t bite you! I am sure you will get helpful advice, after all your intentions are good and you want to do things right from the Catholic point of view. Take courage, and go and talk about your situation :hug3:

 

[1ke]

1KE- So your are saying that my marriage is NOT a real marriage? PERIOD? I was starting to think that it is something that was required by the Catholic Church to be considered a Catholic.

Correct. Your husband is a Catholic and therefore must have married according to Catholic form or convalidated the marriage for it to be valid.

That is like saying that ALL other married couples from different religons are not truely married.

No, it isn’t. I already explained above in another post that the Church teaches non-Catholics validly marry each other (provided they don’t have impediments like a prior marriage bond). The Church recognizes the marriages of baptized non-Catholics as well as the unbaptized.

It is **Catholics **who are bound by Catholic form, and those who marry them. A marriage is either valid or invalid-- it’s not valid for one spouse and invalid for the other spouse.

Wouldn’t that be considered “judging”?

No. Assessing facts is not judging. Ascribing motive or guilt of sin would be “judging” as that is God’s place to do. If I said your husband was a bad person, that would be judging. I’m sure he’s a very nice person, but one who either didn’t know or at the time didn’t care what the Church taught on the matter. So, he can fix that through convalidation.

This is my view as of right now on this issue. I RESPECT the Catholic laws and The Church. I have yet to find anywhere in the Bible were it says a marriage has to be blessed in the Catholic Church to be considered valid. (please correct me and point me to it if I just haven’t found it yet).

Christ gave the Church authority to bind and loose. The Church binds Catholics to the Catholic form of marriage or requires a dispensation from form to marry elsewhere when marrying a non-Catholic.

If I am reading right, marriage wasn’t even a sacrament until the 12th century.

All Sacraments were instituted by Christ. Marriage has been a sacrament since the foundation of the Church and the other sacraments. Valid marriage between the baptized is a sacrament by its very fact.

Over time, the Church’s understanding and explanation of those sacraments grew. As various heresies arose, the Church found it necessary to make certain declarations to combat them.

I understand why it is so important, please do not get me wrong. I am just having a hard time seeing why my marraige is considered “wrong” if it is not wriiten in the Bible.

Sola scriptura (bible only) is an error in teaching. The bible itself doesn’t teach this. In fact, it teaches the opposite-- in several places the Apostles admonish people to obey their teachings both written and oral. The Apostles, and their successors the Bishops, have the authority to bind and loose.

I have got so many responses saying “your marraige is valid, just not to the Catholic Church.”

I can only tell you what the Church actually teaches.

Then you respond to the above poster saying “not a marriage at all”. I said my vows when I got married. I promised to God that my husband and I would become one, not to the Justice of Peace. God was there! He knows I made that promise and I will keep it.

Certainly you entered your marriage in good faith. But, your husband did not follow Church law. This can be rectified through convalidation or radical sanation.

I HAVE to believe that God doesn’t just show up to Catholic Church weddings. If not then the rest of the world married world is living in sin. I take my vows JUST as serious as A Catholic.

You misunderstand me. I did not assert that non-Catholic marriages are invalid, as I have already explained. But, you are not in a non-Catholic marriage. You are married to a Catholic.

Is it not safe to say…to be CONSIDERED a CATHOLIC then you have to be married in the Church or have your marraige blessed. Otherwise you are not a Catholic, but you are still very much married. Cannon Law only applies to Catholics right?

And to those who marry them.

We should not be telling everyone else that there beliefs are wrong.

I haven’t done so.

With all that said. I do feel as if I should get my marriage blessed by The Church, but I am still not 100 percent sold on it being a must. A must to be a Catholic yes, but not a must to be a Christian or for the marriage to be valid.Maybe that opinion will change for me one day. I am only 3 weeks in!!!

I hope you will come to understand that a marriage either is or isn’t valid-- it can’t be valid for one spouse and invalid for the other. The two are one flesh. Your husband is bound to Catholic law, and by marrying him you are bound by Church law on marriage also. I do hope he will pursue convalidation or radical sanation (radical sanation “heels at the root” meaning it convalidates your marriage back to the date of your original marriage, supplying what was lacking for the Catholic party… you do not exchange new consent).

I am sorry if I upset you or you thought i was judging you. I’m not.

 

[joanofarc2008]

Caseyb27 - others have done a very good job breaking the issue of the marriage down for you on a Canon law perspective but let me go one step further. If your child goes into the kitchen and gets a cookie at 3 o’clock in the afternoon this may not be a problem in your home. However, if you don’t want your child eating cookies at Mrs Smith’s house because you have an issue with the way she makes her cookies and you tell your child not to eat cookies over there and your child does so anyway there is a problem. The bad act is not in the eating of the cookie it is in the disobedience of the child’s mother. In the act of an invalid marriage we have the disobedience of baptismal promises when a Catholic does not get married in a Catholic Church or to another Catholic or neglects to get the proper dispensation (meaning that someone checked to make sure that there was a clear understanding and there were no other impediments.)** This is a really basic metaphor and meant to be metaphor only**

 

[caseyb27]

1KE "I hope you will come to understand that a marriage either is or isn’t valid-- it can’t be valid for one spouse and invalid for the other. The two are one flesh. "

Yet again A HUGE THANK YOU to you. I was reading more scriptures last night and came across this too. I have to say that it is an awful feeling knowing the TRUTH, but all I can do is correct it. Thank you for explaining it AGAIN. I do not know how I missed the “a catholic married to a non-Catholic is invalid in the eyes of the church.” But 2 non-Catholics married is still considered valid. I do truely understand now. I wish my husband was more understanding of his own religon.

By no means did you offend me. I appreciate you answering my questions. I hope my post didn’t come off that way. I NEED to know the truth. Otherwise I will continue living the wrong way. Sometimes the truth hurts and I was looking for a way out of it. No one wants to believe their marriage is invalid. But the truth is the truth.

joanofarc2008 - I enjoyed your break down. I’m not sure if I am having such a hard time because I am taking in so much information at one time or if I want to NOT believe this is true. Maybe both?!?!?!?!? Thank you.

Rafaela - That is my plan. I have attended to Church’s so far. I am hoping to find one that I am comfortable in. I felt welcomed in them both, but they are huge with so many Catholics attending. After mass so many people stay around to ask questions. I feel overwhelmed. I am hoping to find a smaller Church close to home. Just for a little while anyway! Thank you!

 

[EvelynEVF]

Casey, I don’t know if this is any help at all, but when I was converting, it helped me to remember that as a non-Catholic, there were lots of things that I did or saw happening that I never knew could be Sacraments. Like, having to go tell my protestant pastor that I was converting, was basically telling him that his ordination was invalid. And that our Lord’s Supper was invalid. I had to tell myself that he never expected his ordination to make him a priest or affect a sacramental or ontological change in him. We didn’t have Jesus in the Eucharist, but then as protestant evangelicals, we didn’t plan or want to in the first place. I tried to think of the sacraments as gifts that I just hadn’t yet known how to receive.

 

[joanofarc2008]

1KE "I hope you will come to understand that a marriage either is or isn’t valid-- it can’t be valid for one spouse and invalid for the other. The two are one flesh. "

Yet again A HUGE THANK YOU to you. I was reading more scriptures last night and came across this too. I have to say that it is an awful feeling knowing the TRUTH, but all I can do is correct it. Thank you for explaining it AGAIN. I do not know how I missed the “a catholic married to a non-Catholic is invalid in the eyes of the church.” But 2 non-Catholics married is still considered valid. I do truely understand now. I wish my husband was more understanding of his own religon.

By no means did you offend me. I appreciate you answering my questions. I hope my post didn’t come off that way. I NEED to know the truth. Otherwise I will continue living the wrong way. Sometimes the truth hurts and I was looking for a way out of it. No one wants to believe their marriage is invalid. But the truth is the truth.

joanofarc2008 - I enjoyed your break down. I’m not sure if I am having such a hard time because I am taking in so much information at one time or if I want to NOT believe this is true. Maybe both?!?!?!?!? Thank you.

Rafaela - That is my plan. I have attended to Church’s so far. I am hoping to find one that I am comfortable in. I felt welcomed in them both, but they are huge with so many Catholics attending. After mass so many people stay around to ask questions. I feel overwhelmed. I am hoping to find a smaller Church close to home. Just for a little while anyway! Thank you!

You can actually get your marriage convalidated now (or possibly shortly if you have impediments) - you just need dispensation and if you have prior marriages you will need to have a decree of nullity first. You will not necessarily need to be Catholic - you can take your vows between a Catholic and a non-Catholic - you just need the dispensation and a lack of impediments. But you really should see your dh’s priest.

 

[jmcrae]

Thank you! I will review the links tonight! What I meant by I was taught that God and Jesus are not one is that I was taught that God is Jesus’s Father. And Jesus was God’s SON. 2 different people. Not 1 in any form. I was taught that God created Jesus to help spread the faith and His word, but that God was not Jesus. I look forward to reading the links tonight.

No - Jesus is the Uncreated Word that the Father sent forth from His mouth to create all that is seen and unseen - including us. The Holy Spirit is a third Person of the Trinity who comes from the eternal love of the Father for the Son, and the eternal love of the Son for the Father. Because their love for one another is perfect, it is a third Person, who also is God.

Jesus became a human being inside of Mary’s womb and was born into the world as a man to save us from our sins. This is why Mary is called “The Mother of God.”

 

[5Loaves]

Thank you! I do believe this is the case. Godparents are called Madrinas and Padrinos and from what I am being told is that even though translated into English means Godparents that infact it means a variaty of things, like you said witness. It just oesn’t FEEL right to me. I think that although it is a Spanish speaking Church that they should still follow the same laws and beliefs. This Church is a huge Catholic Church that is mostly English speaking and different masses and classes in Spanish too for the Spanish community. English is my first language and although I am fluent in Spanish I have decided to go to the Masses in English. Just because I am most confident in my understnading there! Thank you for your (name removed by moderator)ut. That was a very important question for me.

They should follow which laws and beliefs? The tradition is long standing of multiple “Madrinas” and “Padrinos” in excess of the maximum one male and/or one female Godparent/s (sponsors) allowed by the Canon Law of the Latin Church. All that is necessary is that the clergy who exercise the Sacramento of Holy Baptism in this church know that there is at least one valid sponsor (Godparent) and that the name of that person and only that person (or in the case of one male and one female, those two valid persons) be entered in the Baptismal record.

You can read the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church that pertain to who may be a Godparent (sponsor). As already was clarified under Can. 874 §2.

A baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community is not to participate except together with a Catholic sponsor and then only as a witness of the baptism.

and your husband may not be a Godparent because by being in an invlaid marriage he does not “leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on”… which is to say he wouldn’t be a good role model of the faith while in a marriage the Church deems invalid.

Can. 874 §1. To be permitted to take on the function of sponsor a person must:
3/ be a Catholic who has been confirmed and has already received the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist and who leads a life of faith in keeping with the function to be taken on;

It’s entirely possible the people who asked you to be Godparents believe you to be in a valid marriage… and you are under no obligation to tell them otherwise. That is something for you to continue to pursue with the priest. They may not know that you are a “baptized person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community”, i.e. not Catholic so can only be a witness.

As you can see this doesn’t mean that you cannot go on to function for the children as loving guides in their faith life. I would say from what you’ve written that you could be a remarkable model of one who desires to learn more about the teaching of the Church and seeks to conform her life to the teachings. Children are very often the cause of non-Catholics coming into the Church and of Catholics who were Baptized but never confirmed joining the process to complete their Sacraments.

The Holy Spirit may have brought you to this Spanish speaking parish for many reasons. I find that the Spanish speaking communities often continue to preserve many pious devotions which have fallen by the wayside in less “ethnic” parishes. What I love so much about the Eastern Catholic Churches, of which I am a part, is the tremendous richness in our liturgical year and the way we approach each of our 12 Great Feasts. There is some similarity in the richness of the devotions and traditions in the Latino community I often see.

As far as wishing your husband “was more understanding of his own religion” know that sadly the Catholic Church in the US at least, and I think you are here in the US, has done a really lousy job of catechizing its people for a long time now so he is quite in the norm. Fortunately, with Catholic Radio and EWTN and so much available on line and in print now I see Catholics really seeking to understand their tradition more fully.

I thinks it’s very exciting that these couples saw you as faithful and loving Christians they wanted as Godparents. Your life in the parish and in the Church is really being touched by this!

God is with us!
May you continue to be richly blest in your journey of faith.