Y
yngives
Guest
I have a question about attending a wedding ceremony. I have read the rules about attending weddings on Catholic Answers which say that you are not expressly forbidden from attending an invalid marriage, that you have to use your own judgment. But I’m not sure about my family’s situation.
My brother is a fallen away Catholic who attends a Lutheran church. He is getting married by a Lutheran pastor without a dispensation. I know this is an invalid marriage. I have discussed this with him as well. I feel that I want to attend because my brother has begun to shown signs that he may come back to the Catholic Church sometime in the future and I don’t want to push him away. Out of respect for my mom and I he actually did attempt to get a dispensation of form. But he started a little too late so that won’t happen before the ceremony. I’ve talked to him about getting his marriage blessed and he seems open to considering that. I would like to go to keep the lines of communication open for him to return to the Church. I have/will let my younger siblings know that my attending the ceremony does not mean I agree with the way he is getting “married” but because I don’t want to make him so angry/hurt that he never gets married in the Church. I just want to make sure that I’m not committing a sin.
Also would it be permissible to attend the bridal shower? Thank you for your help.
My brother is a fallen away Catholic who attends a Lutheran church. He is getting married by a Lutheran pastor without a dispensation. I know this is an invalid marriage. I have discussed this with him as well. I feel that I want to attend because my brother has begun to shown signs that he may come back to the Catholic Church sometime in the future and I don’t want to push him away. Out of respect for my mom and I he actually did attempt to get a dispensation of form. But he started a little too late so that won’t happen before the ceremony. I’ve talked to him about getting his marriage blessed and he seems open to considering that. I would like to go to keep the lines of communication open for him to return to the Church. I have/will let my younger siblings know that my attending the ceremony does not mean I agree with the way he is getting “married” but because I don’t want to make him so angry/hurt that he never gets married in the Church. I just want to make sure that I’m not committing a sin.
Also would it be permissible to attend the bridal shower? Thank you for your help.