Asperges Me at Wedding Mass

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My friend is Catholic and her fiance is of Jewish descent, but he has converted to Episcopalianism many years ago.

They are getting married in the Catholic Church and they want to do a full blown ceremony with as much incense and pomp and circumstance as possible.

They asked me to ask here since between the three of us, I’m the only CAF member.

Can they do an Asperges Me (sprinkling congregation with Holy Water) during their Mass?

If so, what’s the protocol for the priest when non Christians, and non Catholics are present? His side is almost all Jewish and there are a few Hindus and atheists in the mix as well.
 
Episcopalian said:
They are getting married in the Catholic Church and they want to do a full blown ceremony with as much incense and pomp and circumstance as possible.
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They may well want to do this but has it been allowed in their case? If one party is not Catholic, permission is needed before having the ceremony in the context of a Mass.

And, are we talking about a “novus ordo” Mass? If so, the asperges would not be done since the penitential rite is omitted in the wedding Mass.

Dan
 
Have they already arranged with a priest to conduct their wedding ceremony? If they have, he’s the one who can answer these questions. But if they haven’t, then the next question is, Have they at least decided where the wedding is going to take place? Presumably, I imagine, in the bride’s home diocese. In that case, the people in the diocesan office will know the answers.
 
It would probably be best if you told these people that they should ask these type questions of the Catholic parish priest who is going to be handling their marriage prep, rather than asking a non-Catholic to go ask lay strangers on an Internet forum.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
It would probably be best if you told these people that they should ask these type questions of the Catholic parish priest who is going to be handling their marriage prep, rather than asking a non-Catholic to go ask lay strangers on an Internet forum.
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Where’s the fun in that and how could people show off their impressive knowledge of liturgical minutiae?

Dan
 
I’m hoping your friend has discussed her idea for what will happen at the ceremony with the priest who’ll be solemnising her wedding because, what she seems to be envisioning isn’t what would normally happen at a wedding between a Catholic and other Christian. For starters, a nuptial mass isn’t really appropriate when one partner isn’t Catholic because marriage is supposed to be about union - the two coming together as one - and when one partner (if not half the congregation as well) doesn’t receive communion this instead highlights division. While, you could (in theory) have incense at a wedding service it would be unusual to say the least. Likewise with the asperges, there’s no penitential rite in a nuptial mass or in a wedding service.

So yeah, they really need to have a detailed discussion with the priest about these things before they go too far along with preparations/expectations and end up disappointed,
 
acanonlawyer said:
And, are we talking about a “novus ordo” Mass? If so, the asperges would not be done since the penitential rite is omitted in the wedding Mass.
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And if it’s Easter season, it is the Vidi Aquam that could not be used in the wedding Mass 😉
 
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