Invalid marriage

[Pro-Life_Teen]

I know the answer, I believe, it’s been discussed enough, but just for clarification purposes- a Catholic may [should?] not attend a wedding ceremony for a lapsed Catholic who is marrying outside of Catholic form?

But the reception may be attending, for the sake of keeping ties and not alienating friends/family, yes?

 

[lontas]

Hey PLT,

I think the general consensus is, if the person is truly a lapsed Catholic, then you should assume ignorance on their part and attend the ceremony to maintain the relationship… i.e. they can’t be blamed for what they don’t know they’re doing, give 'em the benefit of the doubt.

However, if the person is openly making an act of defiance against the Catholic Church by doing this, then that’s another thing and you shouldn’t attend the ceremony or the reception!

Chris

 

[Caesar517]

If they are unaware of the Church’s teachings, you should educate them, not play on their ignorance.

The Church recognizes non-Catholic marriges as valid if both parties are not Catholic. When dealing with a lapsed Catholic, the question becomes “is this person Catholic?”. I’m not sure how to answer that. I think you need to speak with a priest.