Excommunicated? (married lutheran)

[geekdean]

Hi all,

Please excuse me if this is the wrong place to post this as I am new here. I had search the forums but cannot find a reference to my question which is…

A few people I have known over the years claim that they or someone they know had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church for marrying a Lutheran. Is this true? Why? How can it be undone? Is there a way to correct it if the person is deceased?

In addition, I stood as Godfather to my nephew in a Lutheran church. Does the Church view me in any special way? I am a cradle catholic and this was before my reunion with the Church so I did have ignorance on my side at the time.

Thanks,
Dean

 

[hlgomez]

A few people I have known over the years claim that they or someone they know had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church for marrying a Lutheran. Is this true? Why? How can it be undone?

It is not true. However, a person should continue to exercise his Catholic faith. It is also stated in the Catechism that the Church will allow a person to marry a non-catholic provided the children that will be born will be raised as Catholics. If a person abandons his faith and starts believing in another faith apart from the Catholic faith, then that will be a ground for excommunication.

I stood as Godfather to my nephew in a Lutheran church. Does the Church view me in any special way?

This is not allowed in the Catholic Church. If you did this because you were “ignorant” at that time that the Church prohibits this, then you are not guilty of mortal sin. However, try going to confession and tell the priest about this.

God bless!

Pio

 

[Minerva]

are you sure that’s correct about being a godfather to a Protestant? I’ve never heard of that before and find it hard to believe, since Protestants are allowed to be “Christian witnesses” at Catholic baptisms, and Catholics are allowed to marry Protestants, attend their services (tho not take communion and not in lieu of Mass), and the like. If you’re allowed to marry a Protestant and allowed to have one as a witness at a Catholic baptism, I cannot see how it could be a sin to be a witness/godparent at a Protestant baptism.

 

[rwoehmke]

I cannot say whether being a Godparent to a protestant child is a sin for a Catholic or not. I do know that many have forgotten what it means to be a Godparent. A Catholic baptism requires at least one Godparent to be a Catholic. Others may take part as sort of honerary Godparents. Being a Godparent is not just an honerary role. A Godparent is expected to assist the parents in forming the child into a good Catholic adult. If the parents are negligent in this it falls to the Godparent to do what they can to accomplish that obligation despite the parents. Being a Godparent is not something to be taken lightly. Being a Godparent for a protestant child would in my opinion be at least a shaky proposition since you would not want to be responsible for forming the child into a heritical adult. OK?

 

[hlgomez]

are you sure that’s correct about being a godfather to a Protestant? I’ve never heard of that before and find it hard to believe, since Protestants are allowed to be “Christian witnesses” at Catholic baptisms, and Catholics are allowed to marry Protestants, attend their services (tho not take communion and not in lieu of Mass), and the like. If you’re allowed to marry a Protestant and allowed to have one as a witness at a Catholic baptism, I cannot see how it could be a sin to be a witness/godparent at a Protestant baptism.

Minerva,

Being a “godfather” to a non-catholic violates your faith since you tend to agree on what they believe and be responsible for the child’s faith as he/she grows up according to their faith. Getting married to a non-catholic, however, does not violate your belief since you just marry the person out of love for each other, not because of his/her faith that you marry a person.

Pio

 

[jimmy]

I don’t know if your right about the baptism thing. You are also responsible for the faith of your wife. Probably more than a Godchild since you are closer to them.

Are there any Chatechism references?

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

geekdean:

Hi all,

Please excuse me if this is the wrong place to post this as I am new here. I had search the forums but cannot find a reference to my question which is…

A few people I have known over the years claim that they or someone they know had been excommunicated from the Catholic Church for marrying a Lutheran. Is this true? Why? How can it be undone? Is there a way to correct it if the person is deceased?

In addition, I stood as Godfather to my nephew in a Lutheran church. Does the Church view me in any special way? I am a cradle catholic and this was before my reunion with the Church so I did have ignorance on my side at the time.

Thanks,
Dean

Yes that is correct. Under the old Code of Canon Law a person was Excommunicated. However Pope Paul lifted all the Excommunications.

A Catholic could be a witness at a non-Catholic Baptism but the Vatican II document on Ecumenism does not allow a Catholic to fill the role of Godparent. As is true the opposite way. A non-Catholic cannot be a Godparent at a Catholic baptism only a Christian witness.

 

[geekdean]

Wow, I posted this primarily to try and save my brothers soul and it ends up I’m the one in real trouble!

Sheesh! What a can of worms I opened, I’m starting to understand the term “Ignorance is Bliss”.

Anyway, what do I do now to fix this?

Thanks,
Dean

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

geekdean:

Wow, I posted this primarily to try and save my brothers soul and it ends up I’m the one in real trouble!

Sheesh! What a can of worms I opened, I’m starting to understand the term “Ignorance is Bliss”.

Anyway, what do I do now to fix this?

Thanks,
Dean

I would hope that you would be a good Catholic example for your nephew. With any luck someday he might decide to become Catholic!

 

[geekdean]

Actually I had the opportunity to take him to mass with me a few weeks ago and will do so again whenever I can. More importantly, according to the responses it seems I am WAY WAY out of grace, and of course I have been recieving communion for the past 4 years while in this state.

Would confession with an explanation(sounds like traffic court huh?) be enough to repair the damage? I have been to confession recently so is it covered or do I need to explain it all to my preist?

Thanks again,
Dean

 

[rwoehmke]

geekdean:

I am WAY WAY out of grace, and of course I have been recieving communion for the past 4 years while in this state. Would confession with an explanation(sounds like traffic court huh?) be enough to repair the damage? I have been to confession recently so is it covered or do I need to explain it all to my preist? Thanks again, Dean

Might not be a bad idea to discuss this with your priest. I doubt that you are way out of grace as you cannot commit a serious sin for which you are guilty/culpable unless you knew it was a sin with grave matter when you did it. Serious sin requires grave matter or belief that it is of grave matter, knowledge that what you are doing is wrong, and finally a free decision on your part to go ahead and do it.