Can we marry in the Roman Catholic Church?

[ConfusedBeliever]

Many years ago now, when I was a baby, my father, a lapsed Catholic, and my mother, Orthodox, baptized me in the Eastern Catholic Church - Maronite.

They raised me as Roman Catholic, I celebrate Mass weekly at my local Roman Catholic Church, and all I’ve ever known is being RC. It’s recently come to my attention, as I’m preparing for the sacrament of matrimony, that I was baptised Maronite Eastern Rite Catholic.

My partner is Anglican and as he’s non-practicing but I am, he’s agreed to get married in the Roman Catholic Church and my hope is that we will be able to baptise our future children as Roman Catholic. Is this possible?

 

[phil19034]

Should be fine in the end. However, father might have some questions, seek some permissions, and/or might need to do some extra paperwork. Just explain everything you just said here to your priest.

God bless and congrats on your upcoming wedding.

 

[Maximilian75]

Speak to your parish priest. No one here on CAF can fully answer your question.

 

[GodSoughtMe]

The relevant question is whether your father was a lapsed Roman rite Catholic, or a lapsed Eastern Rite Catholic.

If he was Roman rite, there is no issue. Because though you were baptized by an Eastern Rite clergyman, you are technically under Roman jurisdiction as well, regardless. If he was Eastern Rite, then you are technically Eastern Rite. In which case, a licit marriage canonically, would be before an Eastern clergyman.

 

[GodSoughtMe]

However, supposing an Eastern rite clergyman, a con-celebrant at a Roman rite nuptial Mass, did the rite of Christian marriage according to the Eastern rite…that might be an area of latitude.

But I suspect that your father was a lapsed Roman Catholic and the Eastern rite Baptism was a halfway point between his and your mother’s family. In which case you are a Roman Catholic and are required to be married in the Roman Church, so that is easier.