Divorced Brother "Engaged" -- Help!

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JaneDC

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Oh Pray for this guy!

My dear brother has been divorced for 8 years and really dragged his feet on getting an annulment. He is on his second relationship since divorcing, and I’m really worried for his heart and his soul. his ex-wife started attending an Evangelical Free church with their daughter, and the girl is now being raised in that faith (yes, she was baptized Catholic). Dear Brother has been attending that church on-and-off to support his daughter in her faith, and I’m not even sure if he’s Catholic anymore.

Now, he’s “engaged” to marry a woman who is patently anti-Catholic, and they are sleeping togehter as well. I have let Dear Brother know that he is on very rocky ground, and of course this is falling on deaf ears.

With being out of town from the rest of my family, it’s hard to assess if this relationship is really heading toward “marriage,” so I still have the hope that maybe this will just not go in this direction. My husband and I do not have children, so I don’t have to avoid the relationship for the sake of a child. My mom (weak, cafeteria-style culteral Catholic) hopes they elope. My Non-Denominal sister doesn’t worry about the “church rules” but is also concerned. My other sister is like my mom and will probably do anything Brother wants (including letting her daughters be flower girls). Dad just rolls with whatever is going on. My husband is of no particular faith, so he’ll follow my lead. I don’t think I could attend such a wedding – but maybe if I consider him as “outside the church” I could.

How can I maintain a relationship with him and the rest of my family in this situation? We’re heading up for a visit in July, so any prayers and suggestions are welcome.

Live Jesus!

JaneDC
 
Ask him outright if he is still Catholic. If he says “no”, problem solved. You can still pray for him, but if he is truthfully outside of the church, he is not bound by her. I would suggest you reach out to your mother, if she is receptive, gently engage her in matters of faith during some quiet moments. Perhaps if you build up her faith, she can help (or at least not harm further) the spiritual side of her children. Even as adults, kids DO still look up to their mothers (in some ways, even more). I think you have already done what you can for you brother in this moment, you can continue to mention things in passing, or perhaps give him an easy book about catholicism (someone else here can recomend one) but don’t brow beat him, or he will totally write you off. I will say a prayer for him.
 
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