How do I convince my wife to send our kids to Mass every week?

[paxomatic]

My wife is a baptized but non-practicing Catholic. We have three daughters. I insist that my 13-year-old go to Mass with me. Our twins are now 7 and I take them most Sundays, but it is difficult to insist as my wife does not like my insisting that any of them go to Mass. This is a contentious issue between us. In fact, all Catholic viewpoints are contentious, particularly in relation to the children. What advice can you give me in this area?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Since you are both Catholic, you likely married in a Catholic nuptial liturgy, during which you promised to raise the children according to the laws of Christ and his Church. Remind your wife of this, and gently point out to her that all you are trying to do is to keep the promise that both of you made before God. As a secondary point, you might ask her to consider how damaging it is to your joint authority with the children for your wife to undermine your direction to the children that they must attend Mass on Sundays and holy days. Her actions here don’t just undermine you (which is bad enough), but could also lead to the children not taking her authority seriously either. If Mom doesn’t make the kids do what Dad says, then perhaps Dad won’t make the kids do what Mom says. And if Mom and Dad’s individual authority means nothing, then why should their joint authority mean more? After all, zero plus zero equals zero.