Having a Protestant wedding cermony after a Catholic one

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michalfrancis

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Currently my wife to be (a Baptized Protestant Christian) and I (a Catholic) are undergoing the preparations needed to be married in the Catholic Church. Our plan is to make this a small family event. About a year later, we plan on having a larger ceremony/reception with a ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. Although I understand that this second ceremony won’t make us any more married, does the Church have any qualms with this second ceremony?

Thanks for any assistance! I have searched around and haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere.
 
A couple should not mimic the sacrament of matrimony with a false ceremony, nor should a Catholic worship in a Protestant setting.
 
michalfrancis said:
Currently my wife to be (a Baptized Protestant Christian) and I (a Catholic) are undergoing the preparations needed to be married in the Catholic Church. Our plan is to make this a small family event. About a year later, we plan on having a larger ceremony/reception with a ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. Although I understand that this second ceremony won’t make us any more married, does the Church have any qualms with this second ceremony?

Thanks for any assistance! I have searched around and haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere.
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Yes. It is not permitted.
Canon 1127.3 It is forbidden to have, either before or after the canonical celebration in accordance with 1127.1, another religious celebration of the same marriage for the purpose of giving or renewing matrimonial consent. Likewise, there is not to be a religious celebration in which the catholic assistant and a non-catholic minister, each performing his own rite, ask for the consent of the parties.
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OP would need a dispensation to have the first ceremony. After that, there is no need for a second Catholic ceremony as the Church will recognize the first ceremony as valid. This is typically done for mixed-marriages (a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic Christian).
 
michalfrancis said:
Currently my wife to be (a Baptized Protestant Christian) and I (a Catholic) are undergoing the preparations needed to be married in the Catholic Church. Our plan is to make this a small family event. About a year later, we plan on having a larger ceremony/reception with a ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. Although I understand that this second ceremony won’t make us any more married, does the Church have any qualms with this second ceremony?

Thanks for any assistance! I have searched around and haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere.
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As you can see from the Canon given a marriage ceremony is not allowed. You can have a blessing of some kind or perhaps a vow renewal but you must make it clear to those present that it is not a marriage ceremony.
 
michalfrancis said:
C About a year later, we plan on having a larger ceremony/reception with a ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. Although I understand that this second ceremony won’t make us any more married, does the Church have any qualms with this second ceremony?

.
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yes very much so, since your first wedding, assuming as you say it will be in accordance with Church law, is a valid sacrament a second ceremony is a mockery of the sacrament. Do your best during this time of preparation to educate yourselves on the meaning of that sacrament, in the context of the Eucharist. If you are planning the larger event to celebrate with extended family and friends, you can still do that, on the occasion of your first anniversary, for instance, and simply make it an anniversary party. You can certainly have a blessing during Mass that day, or if that would be uncharitable to many non-Catholic guests, even invite the family’s Protestant clergyman to give a benediction at the meal, but in no way can you try to re-enact the marriage ceremony.
 
I think that the real question is why such a second ceremony would be carried out, and a year later at that? I sense great difficulties on the road ahead.
 
If you are able to marry in the Catholic Church, permission may be granted to have your wife’s Protestant minister participate. Something to consider since what you have planned isn’t allowed.
 
FCEGM said:
If you are able to marry in the Catholic Church, permission may be granted to have your wife’s Protestant minister participate.
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The OP’s two choices are:

(a) Marry in the Catholic form after receiving permission for a mixed marriage. The protestant minister may participate as any other lay person could-- doing a reading, prayers of the faithful, etc. The minister could not “participate” in any ministerial capacity. The protestant pastor could certainly give a short reflection or do a blessing (perhaps the blessing of the meal) at the reception.

(b) Receive a dispensation from Catholic form along with permission for a mixed marriage and be married by the protestant minister. In such a case, a Catholic priest need not be in attendance. If a priest or deacon attends they may not receive the vows or exchange of consent or act in any ministerial capacity. They could offer a blessing or prayer, do readings, etc.
 
1ke said:
The OP’s two choices are:

(a) Marry in the Catholic form after receiving permission for a mixed marriage. The protestant minister may participate as any other lay person could-- doing a reading, prayers of the faithful, etc. The minister could not “participate” in any ministerial capacity. The protestant pastor could certainly give a short reflection or do a blessing (perhaps the blessing of the meal) at the reception… . .[etc.].
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Right; thank you for filling in the gaps I left. 🙂
 
You have lots of options, but none are the one you’ve chosen. If extended family cannot be at your wedding because of distance etc., then certainly you can celebrate with them at another time and location by getting a blessing during Mass or as PuzzleAnnie said, having the protestant minister give a blessing at a meal/reception.

If the extended family will not attend a Catholic wedding, then you have more problems that will not be solved by having a protestant “reenactment” of your wedding a year later.

Speak to your priest with your fiancé and see what he recommends. Another choice is to have your Catholic wedding outside of a Mass, if it is the Mass that relatives are having difficulty with. You do need to consider how much these issues with extended family will affect you and your wife especially after you start having children. Think now about how to address them without compromising your Catholic beliefs.
 
michalfrancis said:
Currently my wife to be (a Baptized Protestant Christian) and I (a Catholic) are undergoing the preparations needed to be married in the Catholic Church. Our plan is to make this a small family event. About a year later, we plan on having a larger ceremony/reception with a ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. Although I understand that this second ceremony won’t make us any more married, does the Church have any qualms with this second ceremony?

Thanks for any assistance! I have searched around and haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere.
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Wouldn’t your future wife have to convert in order to marry you in the Catholic Church? Why then the need for a later Protestant ceremony? You’re both gonna be Catholic.
 
=michalfrancis;7871213]Currently my wife to be (a Baptized Protestant Christian) and I (a Catholic) are undergoing the preparations needed to be married in the Catholic Church. Our plan is to make this a small family event. About a year later, we plan on having a larger ceremony/reception with a ceremony officiated by a Protestant minister. Although I understand that this second ceremony won’t make us any more married, does the Church have any qualms with this second ceremony?
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Thanks for any assistance! I have searched around and haven’t been able to find an answer anywhere.
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YES IT DOES!

THIS MUST BE DISCUSSED WITH YOUR PASTOR WAY BEFORE THE WEDDING DATE. THERE ARE SERIOUS MORAL ISSUES HERE.

God Bless,
Pat
 
josephback said:
Wouldn’t your future wife have to convert in order to marry you in the Catholic Church? Why then the need for a later Protestant ceremony? You’re both gonna be Catholic.
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this is simply NOT true, let us not confuse the issue
 
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