Is mixed marriage a mortal sin?

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I’ve read documents from the past that said one who enters a mixed marriage is guilty of mortal sin…is that true?..and if it is…is it still true today?
 
Ben_Sinner said:
I’ve read documents from the past that said one who enters a mixed marriage is guilty of mortal sin…is that true?..and if it is…is it still true today?
Click to expand...
What do you mean by a “mixed marriage”? Do you mean racially mixed?

If so, no, it’s not a sin.
 
Same with mixed religions…if a dispensation has been granted.
 
Ben_Sinner said:
I’ve read documents from the past that said one who enters a mixed marriage is guilty of mortal sin…is that true?..and if it is…is it still true today?
Click to expand...
Perhaps the document meant if a Catholic married in a Protestant Church without a dispensation from the bishop it would not be considered valid?

I am not a young person, and I have never heard that it is a mortal sin to marry outside of the Catholic faith, although it is not encouraged unless the couple agree on certain important matters.
 
I think it may have been talking about one way of knowingly entering into an invalid marriage.
 
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=578617

You really don’t need two threads on this topic.
It is not a mortal by itself but it can cause scandal and it is possibly dangerous to the practicing of the faith on the part of the Catholic and the children. In a lot of mixed marriages we see dilution and non practice of the faith. Sometimes the non catholic spouse makes it very difficult for the Catholic to practice. To the point of insisting that they don’t . Not permitting the children to be baptized etc. That is the danger that the church has the concerns about.

This is why the couple is supposed to sit down for an interview so that the priest can discern what the situation will be. Then he can request the dispensation if he determines the risk is manageable.

We have all also seen where a non Catholic is brought to the faith. That is very encouraging and a great testimony to the love of a spouse and openness to the actions of the Holy Spirit.

I suppose if a Catholic picked a non Catholic spouse with the intention that it would be easy or lead to not practicing the faith then it would definitely be a sin.Or if they did it to be disrespectful of the church. Or if they took no care in weighing the seriousness of marrying a non Catholic and the ramifications that could be sinful. Could be venial or could be mortal.
 
  1. The Catholic who contracts a mixed marriage before a minister contracts no marriage at all, commits a mortal sin and cannot be admitted to the Sacraments.
Catholics who act thus are declared to be guilty of mortal sin, because they sin through disobedience, by refusing to conform to the precepts of the Church; they give great scandal, and deny the faith; they turn their back upon the sacraments of the true Church and receive the rites of an heretical sect. Thus they give the preference to a false Church, or at least allow its equality with the true one. They cannot be re-admitted to the sacraments unless they manifest sincere contrition on account of their sinful union, and are ready to comply with the requirements of the Church. Many a one takes a just view of his conduct on his death-bed. Conscience often slumbers, like a volcano, which for long years shows no signs of activity, then suddenly bursts into flame; so conscience awakens at last, and the unhappy soul is consumed by the flames of remorse and despair. No one who firmly believes the Catholic to be the only true and saving faith will be content to see his children brought up in soul-destroying error; and it may safely be affirmed, that in the majority of cases, those who contract mixed marriages sooner or later heartily regret the step they have taken.

Mixed Marriages
taken from
“The Catechism Explained”
by
Spirago-Clark

Imprimatur:
  • Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
    Archbishop of New York
    October 18, 1921
truecatholic.us/marriagemixed.htm

this is one of the documents I came across
 
Ben_Sinner said:
  1. **The Catholic who contracts a mixed marriage before a minister contracts no marriage at all, commits a mortal sin and cannot be admitted to the Sacraments. **
    Catholics who act thus are declared to be guilty of mortal sin, because they sin through disobedience, by refusing to conform to the precepts of the Church; they give great scandal, and deny the faith; they turn their back upon the sacraments of the true Church and receive the rites of an heretical sect. Thus they give the preference to a false Church, or at least allow its equality with the true one. They cannot be re-admitted to the sacraments unless they manifest sincere contrition on account of their sinful union, and are ready to comply with the requirements of the Church. Many a one takes a just view of his conduct on his death-bed. Conscience often slumbers, like a volcano, which for long years shows no signs of activity, then suddenly bursts into flame; so conscience awakens at last, and the unhappy soul is consumed by the flames of remorse and despair. No one who firmly believes the Catholic to be the only true and saving faith will be content to see his children brought up in soul-destroying error; and it may safely be affirmed, that in the majority of cases, those who contract mixed marriages sooner or later heartily regret the step they have taken.
Mixed Marriages
taken from
“The Catechism Explained”
by
Spirago-Clark

Imprimatur:
  • Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
    Archbishop of New York
    October 18, 1921
truecatholic.us/marriagemixed.htm

this is one of the documents I came across
Click to expand...
It’s talking about not following the precepts of the Church. That’s the sin. It still is a sin not to follow the laws Catholics are required to follow. Thus, by not getting married in the Church or without a lawful dispensation, yes, one lives in sin. You’re not taking the entire passage in context.
 
Ben_Sinner said:
  1. The Catholic who contracts a mixed marriage before a **minister **contracts no marriage at all, commits a mortal sin and cannot be admitted to the Sacraments.
Catholics who act thus are declared to be guilty of mortal sin, because they sin through disobedience, by refusing to conform to the precepts of the Church; they give great scandal, and deny the faith; they turn their back upon the sacraments of the true Church and receive the rites of an heretical sect. Thus they give the preference to a false Church, or at least allow its equality with the true one. They cannot be re-admitted to the sacraments unless they manifest sincere contrition on account of their sinful union, and are ready to comply with the requirements of the Church. Many a one takes a just view of his conduct on his death-bed. Conscience often slumbers, like a volcano, which for long years shows no signs of activity, then suddenly bursts into flame; so conscience awakens at last, and the unhappy soul is consumed by the flames of remorse and despair. No one who firmly believes the Catholic to be the only true and saving faith will be content to see his children brought up in soul-destroying error; and it may safely be affirmed, that in the majority of cases, those who contract mixed marriages sooner or later heartily regret the step they have taken.

Mixed Marriages
taken from
“The Catechism Explained”
by
Spirago-Clark

Imprimatur:
  • Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
    Archbishop of New York
    October 18, 1921
truecatholic.us/marriagemixed.htm

this is one of the documents I came across
Click to expand...
It is talking about marrying outside of the church. See the bolded part. This is of course a mortal sin.
 
“6. Strive to eradicate these slithering errors with all your strength. Inspire the populace of Bavaria to keep the Catholic faith and unity as the only way of salvation with an ever more ardent zeal, and, thus, to avoid every danger of forsaking it. Once the Bavarian faithful understands this necessity of maintaining Catholic unity, admonitions and warnings to them against joining in marriage with heretics will certainly not be in vain. If on occasion some grave cause should suggest such a mixed marriage, they will then apply for a dispensation from the Church and observe the conditions We mentioned above. You and their parents and others who have care of them are responsible for teaching them what the judgment of the canons is in this matter. They must be warned lest they should dare to break these canons and, thus, jeopardize their souls. Hence if the circumstances suggest it, it may be necessary to remind them of that well-known precept of the natural and divine law, which commands us to avoid not only sins but the next occasion of sin as well. Remind them also of the other precept of the same law which enjoins parents to rear their children in the discipline and admonitions of the Lord (Eph 6.4). **Therefore, they must instruct them in the true worship of God, which is unique to the Catholic religion. Hence, exhort your faithful to weigh seriously how great an offense they commit against the supreme Deity and how cruelly they act toward themselves and their future children when, by rashly contracting a mixed marriage, they may expose themselves and their children to the danger of perversion. **”

theres another one

ewtn.com/library/encyc/g16summo.htm

SUMMO IUGITER STUDIO (On Mixed Marriages)
Pope Gregory XVI
 
and this one

1917 Code of Canon Law

**“1060 The Church everywhere prohibits the marriage between two baptized persons, one of whom is a Catholic, the other of whom belongs to a heretical or schismatic sect.”
**
 
Ben_Sinner said:
and this one

1917 Code of Canon Law

**“1060 The Church everywhere prohibits the marriage between two baptized persons, one of whom is a Catholic, the other of whom belongs to a heretical or schismatic sect.”
**
Click to expand...
You need to stop pulling quotes out of documents and ignoring church teaching as a whole. Yes the church prohibits mixed marriages. That is why a dispensation must be given.

Welcome to the next century by the way. We have had a new code of canon law since 1983.

Here is the section on marriage.

catholicdoors.com/misc/marriage/canonlaw.htm
 
Ben_Sinner said:
“6. Strive to eradicate these slithering errors with all your strength. Inspire the populace of Bavaria to keep the Catholic faith and unity as the only way of salvation with an ever more ardent zeal, and, thus, to avoid every danger of forsaking it. Once the Bavarian faithful understands this necessity of maintaining Catholic unity, admonitions and warnings to them against joining in marriage with heretics will certainly not be in vain. If on occasion some grave cause should suggest such a mixed marriage, they will then apply for a dispensation from the Church and observe the conditions We mentioned above. You and their parents and others who have care of them are responsible for teaching them what the judgment of the canons is in this matter. They must be warned lest they should dare to break these canons and, thus, jeopardize their souls. Hence if the circumstances suggest it, it may be necessary to remind them of that well-known precept of the natural and divine law, which commands us to avoid not only sins but the next occasion of sin as well. Remind them also of the other precept of the same law which enjoins parents to rear their children in the discipline and admonitions of the Lord (Eph 6.4). **Therefore, they must instruct them in the true worship of God, which is unique to the Catholic religion. Hence, exhort your faithful to weigh seriously how great an offense they commit against the supreme Deity and how cruelly they act toward themselves and their future children when, by rashly contracting a mixed marriage, they may expose themselves and their children to the danger of perversion. **”

theres another one

ewtn.com/library/encyc/g16summo.htm

SUMMO IUGITER STUDIO (On Mixed Marriages)
Pope Gregory XVI
Click to expand...
Yes, it is saying do not **rashly contract a mixed marriage. **This was discussed by me in a post earlier. This is why the couple sits down with the priest and discusses what the issues and dangers are and makes sure the marriage is being undertaken with full disclosure.
 
I hate to keep adding on…but heres another passage from the Baltimore Catechism…

Q. 1038. What are the marriages of Catholics with persons of a different religion called, and when does the Church permit them by dispensation?

A. The marriages of Catholics with persons of a different religion are called mixed marriages. The Church permits them by dispensation only under certain conditions and for urgent reasons; chiefly to prevent a greater evil.

does this mean it’s a sin?..because it didnt say “great evil”, it said “greater evil” as in the original situation was evil.
 
It is permitted as per canon law. (with the proper permissions etc)

Though certainly there can be things to be concerned about in considering such…certain difficulties etc
 
You can go and search aaaall the quotes you want, but it won’t change the fact that it is NOT a sin to marry outside the church, IF YOU FOLLOW CANON LAW
 
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