Do you have catholic friends who married an non believer?

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That is totally fair. 🙂

I don’t think my dad expected my mom to convert, actually. I don’t know. I’m a (very!) late life kiddo (I have a 62 year old brother!) so I of course came along well after things had settled into whatever routine they eventually came. Maybe he did. I never heard him push the issue.

I’ll go out on a limb and say he probably did, actually. I do find it interesting that she’s as interested in what I’ve been learning and exploring despite living 3000 miles from me and communicating by phone. Maybe she’s always been curious. Time might tell. Good point. I’ll keep my eyes open. 🙂

I appreciate the warning about the forums. I think I’m pretty tough, but being well armed never hurt anyone. 🙂
 
And I don’t think my admittance to heaven is at all sure. I just think my best chance is with the Catholic Church.
 
I never expected my husband to convert but I have always hoped. I know that when we decided to get married he took classes from the Catholic Padre on the Base where he was posted. I’m sure they were marriage prep courses but we never talked about what he discussed with him. Several years later, that same Padre put a letter of commendation in his military file, commending him for his support of our parish and of me as a Catholic parent.

In the years since his parents died he’s mentioned converting a few times but since he doesn’t practice his own religion (he’s attended Mass more often in 1 year than he has attended his own church in the 42 years we’ve been married) I didn’t get all excited. He knows I’d support him if he ever really wanted to do so.
 
@Syllogism

Your comments and mannerisms leave a lot to be decided. You haven’t been catholic for 6 months and are already criticizing people of your own faith. If I came to this forum looking for answers, you alone would drive me away from the church. Luckily I was born catholic. Remember that God wants us to love our neighbor. Not be a bigot and rude. I will pray for you and especially pray that your unneeded comments don’t push people away from our glorious faith.
 
Yes a friend said she thought her husband would convert but 30 years later

Not so much
 
Phemie said:
I married a non-believer, if by that you mean a non-Catholic. We celebrated our 42nd anniversary last October. He supported me in raising the kids Catholic
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Me too. My wife is a Protestant. We’re fine. Our kids are fine. All is well with the world. Seems to be working out just fine.
 
Totally, most of the mixed marriages I know, have ended in the children falling away from the Faith.
 
I don’t believe I could have married a man who was not a Catholic because I believe that the husband is the head of the family and I could not imagine that if the father of my children did not follow Christ I could follow him.
 
SusanneT said:
I don’t believe I could have married a man who was not a Catholic because I believe that the husband is the head of the family and I could not imagine that if the father of my children did not follow Christ I could follow him.
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Just because they’re not Catholic doesn’t mean they’re not following Christ. Lots of non-Catholics are baptized Christians.
 
I married a non-Catholic and he came into the church at Easter Vigil 16 years later.

My opinion of the decision? It’s not the wisest thing I’ve ever done, but I was young and in love and back then didn’t know what I was in for. Having a split-faith marriage is not easy. Having lived it, I know that now. But God has provided and we can all go to church together now and it was worth waiting for. I am grateful to God it all worked out.

Apart from my grandmother and us, none of the Catholics in my family go to Mass anymore regardless of who they married. It’s really sad.
 
I am totally fine with Catholics marrying non Catholics but I’m not sure if it’s still a sacrament.
 
resolute said:
Apart from my grandmother and us, none of the Catholics in my family go to Mass anymore regardless of who they married. It’s really sad.
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So true. Marrying a Catholic is no guarantee that you’re going to have a spouse who lives by Catholic values or goes to church or prays.
 
Sure am glad my catholic mom married my presbyterian dad. They were married for almost 40 years until he died. Not a disaster at all. They raised 3 children all were raised in the Catholic Faith.
 
I married a Catholic outside of the church who was Catholic in baptism only, and despises the church. We are since divorced.

I am now dating an Episcopalian and will marry her when the time is right.
 
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When my parents married, my mom was a practicing Catholic and my dad had no religious affiliation. He became Catholic when I was eight and is one of the best role models of faith that I have. Without marrying my mom, there’s no reason to believe he would have become Catholic on his own, so I’d say it’s a pretty good thing they got married, even though she never pressured him to become Catholic.

As an aside, my mom’s four siblings ALL married non-Catholics, and ALL of their spouses later became Catholic and raised their kids in the Church. All are still married (after 30+ years) and practicing today. So I’d say that all worked out pretty darn well.

I would also add that confirmed Catholics receive the gift of discernment and right judgement as part of confirmation. So if a practicing Catholic prayerfully discerns whether marrying a non-Catholic is the right call, the Holy Spirit will lead them toward or away from that marriage. My mom never planned on marrying a non-Catholic, but prayer told her it was the right thing to do, and here they are, BOTH practicing today.
 
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I completely accept that but there are important elements of Catholic teaching which not all Christians follow.
 
SusanneT said:
I completely accept that but there are important elements of Catholic teaching which not all Christians follow.
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A good many Catholics don’t follow them either so marrying a Catholic is no guarantee. Ideal if you’re marrying one who as devout as you are but there were few of those in my spere when I was dating.
 
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