Nuptial Mass with non-catholic attendants

[Hisprincess]

I would like to get married in the Church with a Catholic Nuptial Mass. The person that I would like to be my Matron of honor is a baptized Catholic, but she has fallen away from the Church and is no longer a practicing Catholic. I know she wouldn’t be able to sign the certificate as a witness, but can she still be my Matron of honor in a Nuptial Mass?

 

[Seatuck]

I would like to get married in the Church with a Catholic Nuptial Mass. The person that I would like to be my Matron of honor is a baptized Catholic, but she has fallen away from the Church and is no longer a practicing Catholic. I know she wouldn’t be able to sign the certificate as a witness, but can she still be my Matron of honor in a Nuptial Mass?

How do you know she can’t sign the certificate as witness?
The main problem I see is that you’d have to remind her not to go to communion.

 

[Ilroy]

I would like to get married in the Church with a Catholic Nuptial Mass. The person that I would like to be my Matron of honor is a baptized Catholic, but she has fallen away from the Church and is no longer a practicing Catholic. I know she wouldn’t be able to sign the certificate as a witness, but can she still be my Matron of honor in a Nuptial Mass?

She can sign the certificate…that is just something for the civil government. The priest will be the official witness for The Church. I was married a year ago with a non-Catholic as the matron of honor and she was allowed to sign the marriage certificate.

Yes, do remind her to not partake of Holy Communion…unless she reconciles through the sacrament of Confession and becomes a practicing Catholic again.

 

[Hisprincess]

I was told that she can’t sign the Marriage certificate because she’s not in a state of grace or something along those lines. But the person who told me that is not exactly infallible

 

[Ilroy]

I was told that she can’t sign the Marriage certificate because she’s not in a state of grace or something along those lines. But the person who told me that is not exactly infallible

Hmm…I figure if it’s not the priest telling me this I wouldn’t bother listening to them…talk to your priest about it next time you meet with him. If he says no then either he or my priest was mistaken. My priest is the Judicial Vicar/Officialis (canon lawyer) of the Diocese so I think he should hopefully know his stuff.

 

[dixieagle]

I think you have received bad information; canon law does not address the religion of the maid of honor and best man. At our daughter’s recent wedding, the best man was not Catholic, and the subject never came up (with a very orthodox priest!) This should not vary from diocese to diocese.