Matrimony Question

[ThoFate]

hey guy im only sixteen so i wont be getting married in a long time but i was just wondering if both the bride and groom must be catholic to be wedd in a catholic church.

 

[smokeyjoe]

Both my sister and brother married non-catholics in a catholic church, so only one needs to be a catholic.

 

[1ke]

hey guy im only sixteen so i wont be getting married in a long time but i was just wondering if both the bride and groom must be catholic to be wedd in a catholic church.

A Catholic can receive permission from their bishop to marry a baptized non-Catholic Christian. A Catholic needs a dispensation from the bishop to marry a non-baptized person.

A Catholic must be prepared to show that they are in no danger of defecting from the Catholic faith and they must promise to raise the children in the Catholic Church in order to receive permission for a mixed marriage or a dispensation for a marriage to an unbaptized person.

The Church takes seriously the strife that a mixed marriage can cause. It is always best to be of the same faith and share the same values, religious practice, and raising of the children in the faith. If the priest preparing the couple for marriage, and the bishop, are convinced that the Catholic can still practice his/her faith and raise the children Catholic, then they will give permission for mixed marriages. But, it is not the ideal.

A sixteen year old Catholic should strive to learn more about what the Church teaches regarding marriage and should think about the impact on a marriage that different faiths can cause. If one studies and really thinks with the mind of the Church on this subject, one will focus on finding a practicing Catholic to date and discern marriage with, rather than a non-Catholic.