Marriage

[ashleyq1]

Correct me if I’m wrong on this…

If a couple is married outside of the church (Catholic and Protestant) by a Pastor, the Catholic can not receive communion. The only way to get that back is to have your marriage blessed in the Church. The only way to do that is for the spouse of the Catholic to promise that their children will be raised Catholic or to become Catholic himself.

This is my understanding. Please let me know if I am mistaken.

Thank you.

 

[Timidity]

Please let me know if I am mistaken.

You’re not so much mistaken as over-generalized… there are key facts that could make what you said mistaken (for example, was there a dispensation to marry outside the church?).

The best way to get the right answer that meets your specific case is to make an appointment with your (Catholic) pastor and discuss it with him. No one here can do nearly as much for you as he can. And he wants to help… really!

 

[dylanschrader]

If a Catholic is married outside of the Catholic Church without special permission, his marriage is invalid.

The reason the Catholic may not then receive Communion is that if he is having sexual relations when his marriage is invalid, he is objectively in a state of grave sin.

The Catholic should go to confession and abstain from sexual relations until his marriage can be regularized in the Catholic Church. If he goes to confession and abstains from sexual relations, he may then receive Communion.

To begin the process necessary for regularization of the marriage, the Catholic should talk to a priest, who will guide him through the process.

 

[puzzleannie]

Correct me if I’m wrong on this…

If a couple is married outside of the church (Catholic and Protestant) by a Pastor, the Catholic can not receive communion. The only way to get that back is to have your marriage blessed in the Church. The only way to do that is for the spouse of the Catholic to promise that their children will be raised Catholic or to become Catholic himself.

This is my understanding. Please let me know if I am mistaken.

Thank you.

not true. yes, the marriage must be convalidated, a rather simple process, which means the vows must be witnessed by a priest or deacon after suitable preparation (assuming they are otherwise free to marry). In any case, the Catholic already has the obligation to promise to raise their children Catholic, whether or not the marriage situation is addressed. The non-Catholic party is required to make no such promise, nor to convert, although he must be informed of the obligations that pertain to the Catholic partner.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Correct me if I’m wrong on this…

If a couple is married outside of the church (Catholic and Protestant) by a Pastor, the Catholic can not receive communion. The only way to get that back is to have your marriage blessed in the Church. The only way to do that is for the spouse of the Catholic to promise that their children will be raised Catholic or to become Catholic himself.

This is my understanding. Please let me know if I am mistaken.

Thank you.

Yes.

Except this “The only way to do that is for the spouse of the Catholic to promise that their children will be raised Catholic…”

The non-Catholic spouse simply acknowledges that they understand the obligation that the Catholic is under to Baptize and raise their children Catholic. That they will not interfere in the Catholics practice of the Faith.

It is not necessary for the Non-Catholic to agree to become Catholic, although that would be good to have a one Faith household.

 

[ashleyq1]

Thank you everyone for your responses…they were very helpful.
Thanks again