I think she may be a Catholic, but non practicing. I am really not sure, except I think she does believe in God.Is the mother a Catholic, or even a Christian at all?
Huh? A baby shower isn’t a sacrament, so why would it matter?Is the mother a Catholic, or even a Christian at all?
It is absolutely something to celebrate. A new member is joining the family! That means a new child, grandchild, niece/nephew, sibling, cousin, etc! Regardless of circumstances that new baby joining the family is a blessing and should absolutely be celebrated. I wonder how the child would feel knowing that its family didn’t see its birth as something to be happy about…I think it prudent to separate the baby and the “shower”.
It is appropriate to give items to the expectant mother to help in the preparation and care of the baby. I would do this privately and separately from a party.
It is not appropriate to celebrate the pregnant and shacked up living arrangement or to glorify unwed pregnancy. So, I would probably not attend the party in which there will be much oohing and ahhing over her pregnancy, games, cake, and a celebratory atmosphere. It is certainly not something to celebrate.
I agree, given how easily she could have gone down another path, give her support and encouragement.I don’t know the church’s view but mine (for what it is worth is God allowed a life to be created and the mother allowed the pregnancy to continue so why not celebrate that?
Here, Here! Ke’s reply, although understandable, was a little off the mark, in the bigger picture of things.It is absolutely something to celebrate. A new member is joining the family! That means a new child, grandchild, niece/nephew, sibling, cousin, etc! Regardless of circumstances that new baby joining the family is a blessing and should absolutely be celebrated. I wonder how the child would feel knowing that its family didn’t see its birth as something to be happy about…
Amen. And Bless You!I would attend happily. The mother is choosing life. That’s cause enough to celebrate.
God bless
OP is asking for the Church view on attending a baby shower for an unwed mother. So if the mother is not Catholic, why should we hold them to Catholic standards of morality? If they want to have a baby and not be married, well, it is not part of their belief that they should be. So I don’t know why it would be forbidden by the Church for us to attend.Huh? A baby shower isn’t a sacrament, so why would it matter?
This is moral relativism, a condemned proposition by the Church.OP is asking for the Church view on attending a baby shower for an unwed mother. So if the mother is not Catholic, why should we hold them to Catholic standards of morality? If they want to have a baby and not be married, well, it is not part of their belief that they should be. So I don’t know why it would be forbidden by the Church for us to attend.
Really? Then the Church practices moral relativism. Because in the First Ecumenical Council there was a harsh atonement levied against the baptized who left the faith and desires to come back. They would have been prevented from receiving Communion for up to 11 years. Yet the Catechumens (unbaptized) who stopped being catechumens, can be welcomed back and resumed their catechumenate (which back then was about 3 years). So why does the non-believers have less punishment than believers? Relativism? Or scriptural? “To those whom much is given, much is required.”This is moral relativism, a condemned proposition by the Church.
God’s law is universal. It is not only Catholics who do wrong by shacking up, fornicating, and having out of wedlock pregnancies. It is gravely wrong for everyone.
We are to be light to the world, we are not to conform to it.
If they are good friends of yours, then do whatever you can to be supportive of the mother and child. Our CWL often gives baby gifts to shelters for unwed mothers, and they wouldn’t do that if it were against Church teaching, so I don’t see what the problem would be, with giving a gift to the mother to help her baby.This may seem like a strange question, but how does the Church view accepting an invitation to a baby shower for someone who is having a baby and not married, but living with the partner? Is it something that should not be accepted?
Thanks,
She and the baby still need stuff, which is really what a shower is for. I’m going if invited.This may seem like a strange question, but how does the Church view accepting an invitation to a baby shower for someone who is having a baby and not married, but living with the partner? Is it something that should not be accepted?
Thanks,