Can I attend a hindu cerimony?

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graciouslady

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I have a cousin who is getting Married. They are getting married in the Catholic church and after, at the hall they are having a Hindu Cerimony.
I didn’t want to hear this and I don’t know if it is true, but I heard that they where living together. For all I know they could be living apart until they got married.

A friend of mine said that I should not go at all. If I went to the hindu cerimony the devil can find weaknesses in my husband and daughter. And on and on.
I just want to know what the church says on this issue and I am not finding anything.
Thanks
 
graciouslady said:
I have a cousin who is getting Married. They are getting married in the Catholic church and after, at the hall they are having a Hindu Cerimony.
I didn’t want to hear this and I don’t know if it is true, but I heard that they where living together. For all I know they could be living apart until they got married.

A friend of mine said that I should not go at all. If I went to the hindu cerimony the devil can find weaknesses in my husband and daughter. And on and on.
I just want to know what the church says on this issue and I am not finding anything.
Thanks
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As far as I know, the Church does not allow a second wedding ceremony (either before or after the Catholic wedding). The only exception is in countries where a civil ceremony is required by law, like France and Mexico (i.e. the priest does not have the civil power to contract a marriage).

If I were you, I’d go to the Church wedding only, or, make sure you are late enough to the reception that you “miss” this Hindu thing.

God Bless
 
Heck, I’ve known quite highly respected Catholic priests to attend Hindu ceremonies just after the ‘official’ Catholic one they had just performed, with great respect and happiness for the couple. They certainly didn’t see it as a problem, but as a wonderful way to make both families feel all the rites were respected and satisfied for bi-traditional marriages.

I figure if they had no problem, why would any other Catholic? And no, these were not ‘hippie priests,’ but elderly Jesuit monks and Benedictines and such along with the presiding priest of the Catholic ceremony. Father Sinkowski even spoke fluent Hindi and had a fine time chatting with the bride’s family, and as far as I know at least that marriage has worked out wonderfully (I didn’t personally know the other couple, but hope they’re doing great as well!)
 
Nepenthe said:
Heck, I’ve known quite highly respected Catholic priests to attend Hindu ceremonies just after the ‘official’ Catholic one they had just performed, with great respect and happiness for the couple. They certainly didn’t see it as a problem, but as a wonderful way to make both families feel all the rites were respected and satisfied for bi-traditional marriages.

I figure if they had no problem, why would any other Catholic? And no, these were not ‘hippie priests,’ but elderly Jesuit monks and Benedictines and such along with the presiding priest of the Catholic ceremony. Father Sinkowski even spoke fluent Hindi and had a fine time chatting with the bride’s family, and as far as I know at least that marriage has worked out wonderfully (I didn’t personally know the other couple, but hope they’re doing great as well!)
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Good priests sometimes do things that are against Church teachings either out of ignorance, or a sense of compassion.

How can a Catholic go through a Hindu ceremony? We don’t believe in their gods. It is a mild form of apostacy.

God Bless
 
bilop said:
Good priests sometimes do things that are against Church teachings either out of ignorance, or a sense of compassion.

How can a Catholic go through a Hindu ceremony? We don’t believe in their gods. It is a mild form of apostacy.

God Bless
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Thanks Bilop,
 
Apostasy? I don’t think you actually know what that word means. Careful there, these Folk of the Cloth are/were (some have passed away since then, alas) pros, and are you not laity? The Hindus had no trouble at all with the official ceremony being Catholic, and welcomed all to the wedding feast (which I sure wish I could have attended - I love me some excellent Indian food!). And they simply attended, not in ritual for the Hindu ceremony, simply as friends of the family and the newly joined.

[Edited]
 
Nepenthe said:
Apostasy? I don’t think you actually know what that word means. Careful there, these Folk of the Cloth are/were (some have passed away since then, alas) pros, and are you not laity? The Hindus had no trouble at all with the official ceremony being Catholic, and welcomed all to the wedding feast (which I sure wish I could have attended - I love me some excellent Indian food!). And they simply attended, not in ritual for the Hindu ceremony, simply as friends of the family and the newly joined.

[Edited]
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Then that’s no problem at all. Before you said they attended a Hindu “ceremony” not a “feast”. As I said before, the OP should just skip the Hindu ceremony, and go to the banquet.

But, if a Catholic was to engage in a ceremony of a non-Christian religion (I’m thinking direct partcipation, not just observing) that references other “gods” than the One, triune God, than that is a form of apostacy. You would be denying God by “worshipping” a “god”.

If I say “I swear by Vishnu” or “I adore you Shiva” or something like that, I am denying the One True God.

God Bless
 
Actually, I don’t think that’s how this particular wedding ceremony goes, invoking separate aspects of the Divine and such (I used to speak a tiny bit of Hindi/Urdu from working in an Indian restaurant for years, but I’ve spaced a lot of it :o ), and actually the priests DID attend the ceremony, but just smiling and applauding in the seats with the friends and family who’d just been at the Catholic wedding, not in their official capacity (and yeah, that one was the officially legalized one, so they were all done for the day with that job anyway ;)), then the whole crowd went to chow down and party hearty!

Good times were had by all, and a good match was made! And isn’t that really what it’s all for anyway? Heck, even us non-theists have to go stand in line at the County Clerk’s like everyone else, and Mirdath and I had a wonderful ceremony too, very heartfelt and meaningful (however areligious - and nobody was offended) and boy did we throw down for the feast and cake and dance up a storm at the reception (the minister recently asked us for our compilation cds we made for it, hee). Mostly, I just wouldn’t want scrupulosity to hurt anyones’ feelings, OR for the person afflicted by scupulosity to miss out on a (possibly much-needed and well-deserved) lovely event. 🙂

So yeah, I think we agree pretty much - it’s okay to go, you certainly don’t have to worship, just be there for your friends on the big day - they’re probably already about to keel over with excitement and nerves and planning-exhaustion, after all! I know we were - wedding night wasn’t UNromantic - falling asleep before you’re even lying down is kinda romantic too…isn’t it? Whew! 😊
 
graciouslady said:
I have a cousin who is getting Married. They are getting married in the Catholic church **and after, at the hall they are having a Hindu Cerimony. **
I didn’t want to hear this and I don’t know if it is true, but I heard that they where living together. For all I know they could be living apart until they got married.
Click to expand...
Oh wow! I guess anything goes in the Novus Ordo church!:eek:
 
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