Marriage a sacrament between practicing Catholic & baptized (anglican) Buddhist?

[kpat]

Is marriage a sacrament/valid if between Catholic and baptized (anglican) NON-Christian (Buddhist/)? The girl is my friend, and the guy is an internet guy who also is a Socialist party activist… The girl takes her faith seriously, and is struggling with this all? Does anyone know if it makes a marriage a sacrament merely by the guy being baptized at one point, even if he’s disavowed the faith, and embraces crazy anti-faith principles?

Some of the catechism/encylicals I’ve looked at mention merely baptism, but some articles (e.g. nccbuscc.org/laity/marriage/marriagefaqs.shtml ), suggest it’s the non-Christian that’s the important part in making a marriage a natural/lower than sacramental (although no mention is made of baptism.)

Does anybody have a definitive answer to this, or have any good Catholic resources she might look over in considering a serious relationship with this person? There hasn’t even been an engagement, but the whole idea is disconcerting.

Thanks.

 

[davidv]

This can be a very complicated topic. I would suggest you study this setion of the Catechism.

In general in order for the marriage to be sacramental it must be

1. valid (if one is Catholic this requires the proper form or an official dispensation, and
2. both parties must be validly baptized.

 

[Califman831]

praying that they both convert to the True Faith and also that he drops his socialist beliefs.

 

[1ke]

A Catholic contemplating marriage to a non-Catholic needs permission for a mixed marriage if the other party is baptized and needs a dispensation from disparity of cult if the other party is not baptized. To get permission for a mixed marriage, or a dispensation for disparity of cult, the Catholic must promise to raise the children Catholic. The Catholic must also demonstrate that they are not in danger of falling away from the faith. Also, both parties must demonstrate that they understand the essential properties of marriage and intend to enter into such a marriage (permanent, exclusive, fecund).

If the Catholic receives all the permissions and marries according to Church law, the marriage would indeed be valid and a sacrament.

However, any priest worth his salt would think twice about recommending to the bishop a marriage between a Catholic and an apostate from the faith (a baptized person who rejects the faith.)

And, any person who professes to be a practicing Catholic should take a good hard look at themselves and how **prudent **it is to date an apostate with extreme political views with a view towards marrying them and exposing their future children to anti-Christian beliefs.

 

[kpat]

Thanks everybody,and thanks for the prayers Califman.

I think you answered my question pretty well 1ke, thanks. I’ll share the idea of prudence with her. And you’ve definitely given me some hope that at least her pastor, whom she has thus far refused to talk to about it, would do his best to shape her up.

 

[1ke]

And you’ve definitely given me some hope that at least her pastor, whom she has thus far refused to talk to about it, would do his best to shape her up.

Well, I don’t want to give false hope, because frankly there are a lot of priests out there falling down on their job in situations like these. But, hopefully her priest will counsel her on how spiritually dangerous this is.

 

[Jesus_Buddha]

Is marriage a sacrament/valid if between Catholic and baptized (anglican) NON-Christian (Buddhist/)? The girl is my friend, and the guy is an internet guy who also is a Socialist party activist…

Is the fellow a “real” Buddhist? Does he have a lineage, a tradition?

 

[kpat]

Is the fellow a “real” Buddhist? Does he have a lineage, a tradition?

Hey there. He does belong to a Buddhist sect, I suppose, as he was planning on visiting some temple/Buddhist school thing in southeast Asia for studies of some kind. And he also debates other Buddhists about various theological issues… But again, he was baptized Anglican (i.e., his family was not Buddhist at all,) but yeah, he seems to take his brand/flavor/tradition of Buddhism seriously.

 

[valient_Lucy]

As long as BOTH parties have been baptized, it’s a sacrament. If the Buddhist was baptized Anglican as a child, then it’s a sacrament.