Am I a Catholic? I was never baptized Catholic nor confirmed

  • Thread starter Thread starter AmieJac12
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While she shouldn’t have been forced and I do wish there was a way to exempt yourself from canon law the marriage will be invalid in the eyes of the Church.
 
Look, if the OP had made a real profession of faith, I could see why the father wouldn’t want to attend her wedding–she’d be contracting a fake marriage in his eyes, and sinning by shacking up with a man without being validly married. However, I do not think the stepmother is arguing in good faith; the OP will have to go ahead without trying to conform further to their wishes.
 
That doesn’t change reality. Atheists think there’s no God, but He’s real. Conspiracy theorists think the moon landings were fake, but they were real. OP may think she’s not Catholic, but she is. Can’t change the truth.
 
I’m wondering if the coercion may be a factor that would mean it would not apply in her case.
But she does not care. She does not consider herself Catholic.
She does care about her father. A way to exempt her from canon law would allow her to marry validly in the eyes of the Church so that her father could attend while not making promises she does not believe in.
 
Also, I might ask how the profession of faith occurred. I hate to say this, but attention to canon law is not always perfect. In my old parish, the priest decided that children who’d said the Creed (presumably) during the First Communion Mass had made a formal profession of faith and recorded it accordingly.
 
Such a sad situation. The stepmother is behaving terribly, and I hope the OP’s father decides to stand up to her, but it doesn’t sound like it is going to happen. I am so sorry.

I also question, as others have done above, whether the OP’s profession of faith is valid, given that she was over the age of reason and the profession seems to have been done under duress.
 
What she believes, in terms of her stepmother’s objection on the grounds of lapsed Catholic marriage, is unimportant. True to OP or not, she is a lapsed Catholic if a profession of faith was made.
 
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It is pretty easy. The Parish where your dad was received will have a record, if you made a profession of faith it was recorded. One phone call and you can know for sure, get the records for yourself.

As you are marrying a non-Catholic IF he is free to marry, you could likely get permission to marry in the Presbyterian Church making everyone happy.
 
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My step-father’s mom is one of these types. She insists he’s going to hell because he got married to my mother without getting an annulment first. He’s explained to her several times that his first marriage WAS annulled. However, his mother cannot be swayed from the notion that since his ex-wife was the one to initiated the annulment, only SHE is annulled and he’s still married. Apparently in her weird world-view, you can be married to someone who isn’t married to you.
 
My stepmother will not accept me being anything other than her religion. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with Catholicism or if it’s just about erasing my mother.
I do hope you can find some sort of detente with your family eventually. But be vigilant.

My stepdad’s mother was somewhat like this. My mother, divorced from my dad, married my stepdad when I was 7. I don’t think her MIL liked the fact that she was divorced or had a kid. My mom and dad’s marriage was not valid and my mom/stepdad married in the Church. So you’d think it would be OK. But no. I was never invited/allowed to call his mother “grandma” like my siblings once they came along. I was instructed (by her) to call her by her given name.

Adults can be stupid, hurtful idiots. Be wary and don’t let your stepmom do mean things to your kids. Have boundaries. Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.
 
Indeed. That is why I wish there was a way to be exempted from Canon Law. According to Canon Law she is Catholic but she does not accept the faith so she should not need to follow Canon Law.
 
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