Dogs Allowed in Church for a Wedding???

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I am at a loss as to why this happened, unless, the dogs were at the reception. Now, I have several dachshunds, a doxie-pug mix, a German Shepherd-Husky mix and a Boston Terrier. I love my furbabies, but, inasmuch as they are part of my family, church is not the place for them.

What diocese is Santa Monica in?
 
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benedictgal:
What diocese is Santa Monica in?
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The Archdiocese of Los Angels
 
C’mon folks. It has *nothing *to do with the Archdiocese. They are celebrities so they don’t have to follow the rules like the rest of us…:whistle:

…at least the dogs didn’t take communion…
 
The only time a dog is let into church around here is if it is a seeing eye dog. That is it. Our pastor will occasional bring his dog into the locked church when services are not going on…when he makes his rounds to check out the bldg. I think he does it as a safety precaution.
 
idrum677 said:
The article did not confirm nor deny that fact…:eek:
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Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…Oh please be joking…
 
Usually people do not bring their dogs to a wedding unless they are service dogs or the person is blind. I guess if the church permitted her to have them, then I guess she was allowed, otherwise the church would have been specific about their policy on having animals at a wedding.
 
I don’t see anything inherently wrong with this request to have dogs at the wedding granted by the priest. It wouldn’t be my choice, but having animals inside a Catholic Church is not unheard of. The annual blessing of pets comes to mind.

I think it’s nice for the Church to have a little individual leeway for special events and show some flexibility.
 
Middleman said:
I don’t see anything inherently wrong with this request to have dogs at the wedding granted by the priest. It wouldn’t be my choice, but having animals inside a Catholic Church is not unheard of. The annual blessing of pets comes to mind.

I think it’s nice for the Church to have a little individual leeway for special events and show some flexibility.
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Our blessing of pets takes place outside, not in the Church!

I think it’s only leeway because of who they are!!
 
I don’t personally have a problem with anyone being allowed their pets in church for their own wedding. For a regular public Mass there should definitely be rules, but at a more private event such as a wedding, the priest ought to have some leeway. :twocents:
 
happymommy said:
Our blessing of pets takes place outside, not in the Church!

I think it’s only leeway because of who they are!!
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Well, in fairness, the article says "The longtime couple tied the knot Thursday **at **the St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, Calif " not in the St. Monica Catholic Church. :rolleyes:
 
IrishAm said:
Well, in fairness, the article says "The longtime couple tied the knot Thursday **at **the St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, Calif " not in the St. Monica Catholic Church. :rolleyes:
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Well, if it was outside, that’s fine…as long as they cleaned up after them. But in the church, nope, not right!
 
Middleman said:
I don’t see anything inherently wrong with this request to have dogs at the wedding granted by the priest. It wouldn’t be my choice, but having animals inside a Catholic Church is not unheard of. The annual blessing of pets comes to mind.

I think it’s nice for the Church to have a little individual leeway for special events and show some flexibility.
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Although, I personally wouldn’t bring a pet into a church just because I’d be concerned about people who might allergic to animal hair/dander or might just actually have a fear of certain animals, along with dealing with animal doo-doo, I don’t know of any rule saying animals can’t be in a church.

Seeing pets at church isn’t unheard of. This parish below, for instance, had a blessing of pets at their parish. Looks like it was inside the church and no one looked like celebrities.

picasaweb.google.com/StMarysPictures246/AnniversaryBlessingOfAnimals#5254038627279792610

picasaweb.google.com/StMarysPictures246/AnniversaryBlessingOfAnimals#5254038603158317346

I just hope the woman in this pic didn’t receive with her hands after holding the dog:
picasaweb.google.com/StMarysPictures246/AnniversaryBlessingOfAnimals#5254038706035835826

picasaweb.google.com/StMarysPictures246/AnniversaryBlessingOfAnimals#5254038730511892274

picasaweb.google.com/StMarysPictures246/AnniversaryBlessingOfAnimals#5254054862212109090
 
happymommy said:
Well, if it was outside, that’s fine…as long as they cleaned up after them. But in the church, nope, not right!
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There’s the rub. Many priests won’t marry in backyards, in open fields, or banquet halls – it can be quite difficult to get a dispensation to do so without valid reason. Valid reason isn’t “because it’s pretty and close to nature and reflects God’s majesty.” Valid reason isn’t “because I want my pets to participate in the ceremony,” either.

Also, I recall reading on the old Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception website that they didn’t do weddings there, for the Sacrament of Matrimony belongs in a Parish setting. I only wish I could find that reference, but they’ve revamped their website and it’s no longer there.

That having been said, this comes from the USCCB FAQ:
  1. If a Catholic wishes to marry in a place outside the Catholic church, how can he or she be sure that the marriage is recognized by the Catholic Church as valid?
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The local bishop can permit a wedding in another church, or in another suitable place, for a sufficient reason. For example, a Catholic seeks to marry a Baptist whose father is the pastor of the local Baptist church. The father wants to officiate at the wedding. In these circumstances, the bishop could permit the couple to marry in the Baptist church. The permission in these instances is called a “dispensation from canonical form.”
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I’ll look through some of my Catholic Answers books for more references, and post when I find them.
 
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