Baptising my kids - I'm Catholic, wfie is agnostic

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The other problem would be the Godparents…they would have to come from my side. In truth, her sister and brother-in-law are much more involved with the kids then any of my siblings. Of course, they are agnostic and Baptist respectively.
You could have a legitamite Catholic godparent from your side, and let the Baptist be a “Christian witness”, where they basically stand up there as well. To the general audience, there isn’t a visible difference. That way both sides of the family are involved. This assumes, of course that that Baptist is willing to go along with infant baptism, since they’re generally opposed to it.

This link describes Christian witnesses:
catholicdoors.com/faq/qu293.htm
 
He is the one that has the obligation to raise his kids Catholic. His wife does not have to consent to raising the kids Catholic if she is not Catholic. If what you are claiming is true, that “in order to have any hope whatsoever of raising these kids Catholic, he needs their mother’s cooperation”, the Church would never consent to a marriage involving disparity of cult or even a mixed marriage.
As another poster pointed out, when the Church consents to a mixed marriage, the non-Catholic party is made aware of the Catholic’s promise to do everything possible to raise any children in the Catholic faith. In the case at hand, the OP was not practicing the faith at the time of his marriage. His wife was not made aware of any promise to raise the children as Catholics because he made no such promise. While it’s certainly a blessing that he has returned to the Church, he did it several years after entering into a marriage with a non-Catholic. it’s not practical to think that he can take the kids with him against their mother’s wishes.
 
I don’t know what will happen to her, as I will not be there when her soul is judged.

Her ethnicity has nothing to do with anything, so you must be claiming that there is no chance of her being baptized. I am curious as to why you would say that.
It is her religion… not her ethnicity.
 
It is her religion… not her ethnicity.
I said that you must be talking about her religion, and I said that you must be saying that there is no chance that she will become a Christian. I am curious as to why you would say that.
 
As another poster pointed out, when the Church consents to a mixed marriage, the non-Catholic party is made aware of the Catholic’s promise to do everything possible to raise any children in the Catholic faith. In the case at hand, the OP was not practicing the faith at the time of his marriage. His wife was not made aware of any promise to raise the children as Catholics because he made no such promise. While it’s certainly a blessing that he has returned to the Church, he did it several years after entering into a marriage with a non-Catholic. it’s not practical to think that he can take the kids with him against their mother’s wishes.
On a practical level, either she stays home on Sunday alone or she stays home on Sunday with the kids.

Now that he is aware of his obligation, he can inform her of it. He does not need her consent. You are reducing spiritual realities to a matter of practicalities and convenience. He is responsible for the souls of his wife and children, and he would not be doing anyone any favors by being a hypocrite. His kids are still very young - one is only a few months old. He can’t profess the Catholic faith and at the same time say that it is acceptable for his children not to be baptized because his wife is not a Christian. What sort of message does that give his wife and children about him and about the importance and reality of the Faith?
 
I said that you must be talking about her religion, and I said that you must be saying that there is no chance that she will become a Christian. I am curious as to why you would say that.
If it is her choice, then that is one thing. I think it is unlikely based on the OP’s description. That is fine if she wants to remain Jewish. It seems to me that the children should be brought up understanding both traditions and allowed to choose when they grow up. That is how it works best in most mixed marriages I know. It makes sense for harmony. Marriage is a partnership.
 
If it is her choice, then that is one thing. I think it is unlikely based on the OP’s description. That is fine if she wants to remain Jewish. It seems to me that the children should be brought up understanding both traditions and allowed to choose when they grow up. That is how it works best in most mixed marriages I know. It makes sense for harmony. Marriage is a partnership.
So you are proposing relativism as the best means of bringing up children in religion. I could not disagree more, and the Church could not disagree more. More often than not, children raised in the manner you claim to be best wind up with no religion, because religion is presented to them as a tradition (read: superstition) rather than as a real means to enter into a real relationship with a real God.

The mother does not practice the Jewish religion, nor any religion. If the father believes that the Catholic religion is true, then he should be intellectually honest with his wife and children and he should not be ashamed of the gospel.
 
So you are proposing relativism as the best means of bringing up children in religion. I could not disagree more, and the Church could not disagree more. More often than not, children raised in the manner you claim to be best wind up with no religion, because religion is presented to them as a tradition (read: superstition) rather than as a real means to enter into a real relationship with a real God.

The mother does not practice the Jewish religion, nor any religion. If the father believes that the Catholic religion is true, then he should be intellectually honest with his wife and children and he should not be ashamed of the gospel.
Well, if he wants his wife to leave him, then he should just go ahead and do just what you advice. People don’t respond well to having faith forced on them. And I know many wonderful people from mixed marriages who were exposed to both the mother and father’s faith traditions. Many are religious.

Also, we should do away with patriarchal notions of marriage. Most 21st century ladies I know don’t respond well to that.
 
Well, if he wants his wife to leave him, then he should just go ahead and do just what you advice. People don’t respond well to having faith forced on them. And I know many wonderful people from mixed marriages who were exposed to both the mother and father’s faith traditions. Many are religious.

Also, we should do away with patriarchal notions of marriage. Most 21st century ladies I know don’t respond well to that.
If she is going to leave him for being an observant Catholic, then that isn’t his fault. Nobody said anything about forcing faith on her. She doesn’t have to be involved at all if she doesn’t want to.

I know you’re keen on ideological buzzwords, but God’s plan for marriage and family can’t be done away with. I suggest taking off of the feminist glasses and putting on the Catholic ones if you’re going to discuss Catholic marriage on a Catholic forum.
 
As far as the abuse scandals, without getting into hours of talk, would it help to gently remind her that there is also abuse in the school systems, police systems, children’s groups (boy scouts, sports etc)- does this mean the children won’t participate in any of that? Also, you can re assure her the children won’t ever be alone with the priest, if that’s what she needs. Confessions, if she brings it up and if it’s an issue at that point, can be heard where you can see the child, but not hear them.
 
If she is going to leave him for being an observant Catholic, then that isn’t his fault. Nobody said anything about forcing faith on her. She doesn’t have to be involved at all if she doesn’t want to.

I know you’re keen on ideological buzzwords, but God’s plan for marriage and family can’t be done away with. I suggest taking off of the feminist glasses and putting on the Catholic ones if you’re going to discuss Catholic marriage on a Catholic forum.
I missed the day in religion class where they taught that I was under my husband’s authority. Marriage is a partnership and both parents should have a say in raising the children. Hopefully, the poster’s wife would allow the kids to attend Mass with her husband when they get older. And ideally the husband will allow the children to learn about their Jewish heritage. If the wife’s family isn’t religious, then the poster could always ask a local synagogue for advise about it.
 
If it is her choice, then that is one thing. I think it is unlikely based on the OP’s description. That is fine if she wants to remain Jewish. It seems to me that the children should be brought up understanding both traditions and allowed to choose when they grow up. That is how it works best in most mixed marriages I know. It makes sense for harmony. Marriage is a partnership.
In general that is a horrible idea. When raising kids were either are fine the kids overwhelming choose neither or become agnostic. Basically you teach them that there is no real truth. Either the Catholc Church has the fullness of faith or it doesn’t and saying any religion is valid seems to deny that the Church hold the fullness of the faith. Its one of the reasons that mixed marriages can be such a mess.
 
You can make up the work on whatever religion classes you might have missed by going here and reading the relevant sections of the Catechism:

scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
According to.Pope John Paul II, the wife and husband must submit to each other. Marriage is a partnership. A husband should most definitely not decide how to raise the kids. Not only would that not fly in 21st Western society.
 
If it is her choice, then that is one thing. I think it is unlikely based on the OP’s description. That is fine if she wants to remain Jewish. It seems to me that the children should be brought up understanding both traditions and allowed to choose when they grow up. That is how it works best in most mixed marriages I know. It makes sense for harmony. Marriage is a partnership.
Well, if he wants his wife to leave him, then he should just go ahead and do just what you advice. People don’t respond well to having faith forced on them. And I know many wonderful people from mixed marriages who were exposed to both the mother and father’s faith traditions. Many are religious.
Also, we should do away with patriarchal notions of marriage. Most 21st century ladies I know don’t respond well to that.
I missed the day in religion class where they taught that I was under my husband’s authority. Marriage is a partnership and both parents should have a say in raising the children. Hopefully, the poster’s wife would allow the kids to attend Mass with her husband when they get older. And ideally the husband will allow the children to learn about their Jewish heritage. If the wife’s family isn’t religious, then the poster could always ask a local synagogue for advise about it.
Kag, you identify as a Catholic but your posts do not reflect Catholic teaching. It would be charitable and truthful on your part to identify your remarks as your personal opinion, so that you would not confuse readers who are seeking truly Catholic answers to the questions which are posted on the threads.

“It is not permissible to agree in advance to raise some children as Catholics and others as members of another Church or ecclesial community, or to raise the children in both communities (or neither community), or to allow them to choose for themselves when they are of age. Canon 1366 threatens penal sanctions for Catholic parents who willingly allow their children to be baptized or raised in a non-Catholic religion (see also Ecumenical Directory 151).”
 
  1. The poster in question should really go to a priest. Most parish priests would likely tell him the same thing I did. In fact, I have friends in mixed marriages like this. The children should have an understanding of both religions. I’ve had my pastor advise friends of this.
  2. Marriage is a partnership. A wife most definitely is not submissive to a husband. She gets an equal say in how the kids are brought up. This has been stated by JPII in official encyclicals and echoed by Church officials. Going around and spouting off about how women are lesser than men is an incorrect interpretation of Church teachings. That incorrect interpretation gives opponents of the Church fuel with which to go around mischaracterizing the Church as hating women.
And unless you are on the Pontifical Council for the Family, I think that your interpretation is also an opinion.
 
A wife most definitely is not submissive to a husband. She gets an equal say in how the kids are brought up. This has been stated by JPII in official encyclicals and echoed by Church officials.
Source?
 
He is the one that has the obligation to raise his kids Catholic. His wife does not have to consent to raising the kids Catholic if she is not Catholic. If what you are claiming is true, that “in order to have any hope whatsoever of raising these kids Catholic, he needs their mother’s cooperation”, the Church would never consent to a marriage involving disparity of cult or even a mixed marriage.
The Church insists that the non-Catholic party agree that the children will be Catholic. If the marriage was outside the Church then she did not agree to that. They are her kids, too.
 
The Church insists that the non-Catholic party agree that the children will be Catholic. If the marriage was outside the Church then she did not agree to that. They are her kids, too.
The Church only requires that the Catholic inform the non-Catholic of the obligation the Catholic has. The non-Catholic does not need to agree.

Yes, they are her kids, but the Catholic religion is the only true religion, and thus enjoys favor over all other religions.
 
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