Can a Protestant minister co-officiate at the marriage of two Catholics?

[Hokomai]

How about this? (I fancy I can see these things clearly because of being an unbeliever!). You and your fiance go first to your father’s church (with the congregation). There he hears your intended vows, prays as appropriate to a normal Presbyterian marriage, but instead of pronouncing you married, formally directs you to follow your faith to the local Catholic Church. Then you do the whole thing there, with your father’s involvement. (Is your mother alive? Can she also take part?) I can’t see how this would cause scandal even for the Catholic trad types, as it simply recognises the reality of the process you have been through, and symbolises your father’s welcome acceptance of your freedom to make up your own mind. Maybe I should start an 'Unbelievers Liturgical Advice service!

 

[Phemie]

How about this? (I fancy I can see these things clearly because of being an unbeliever!). You and your fiance go first to your father’s church (with the congregation). There he hears your intended vows, prays as appropriate to a normal Presbyterian marriage, but instead of pronouncing you married, formally directs you to follow your faith to the local Catholic Church. Then you do the whole thing there, with your father’s involvement. (Is your mother alive? Can she also take part?) I can’t see how this would cause scandal even for the Catholic trad types, as it simply recognises the reality of the process you have been through, and symbolises your father’s welcome acceptance of your freedom to make up your own mind. Maybe I should start an 'Unbelievers Liturgical Advice service!

Unfortunately, that’s forbidden by Canon Law.

Can. 1127 §1. The prescripts of ⇒ can. 1108 are to be observed for the form to be used in a mixed marriage.
Nevertheless, if a Catholic party contracts marriage with a non-Catholic party of an Eastern rite, the canonical form of the celebration must be observed for liceity only; for validity, however, the presence of a sacred minister is required and the other requirements of law are to be observed.
§2. If grave difficulties hinder the observance of canonical form, the local ordinary of the Catholic party has the right of dispensing from the form in individual cases, after having consulted the ordinary of the place in which the marriage is celebrated and with some public form of celebration for validity. It is for the conference of bishops to establish norms by which the aforementioned dispensation is to be granted in a uniform manner.
§3. It is forbidden to have another religious celebration of the same marriage to give or renew matrimonial consent before or after the canonical celebration according to the norm of §1. Likewise, there is not to be a religious celebration in which the Catholic who is assisting and a non-Catholic minister together, using their own rites, ask for the consent of the parties.

 

[Hokomai]

Unfortunately, that’s forbidden by Canon Law.

§3. It is forbidden to have another religious celebration of the same marriage to give or renew matrimonial consent before or after the canonical celebration according to the norm of §1. Likewise, there is not to be a religious celebration in which the Catholic who is assisting and a non-Catholic minister together, using their own rites, ask for the consent of the parties.

OK - but even under that canon, it is not forbidden to stand in another church and say what you intend to do later in the Catholic church. That is, you do not give consent at the other church. You say, in effect: "I love you [name] and want to marry you before God according to the belief I have, and with your support [Rev Dad], let us all go down the road to St X’s to do so. Whereupon the pastor dad can give his blessing, not using the rite of marriage, and all can process to St X’s for the nuptial mass, perhaps returning to the Presbyterian Hall for the reception. Oh wait. There’s the alcohol thing…