Parents responsibility

[Donxyz]

What wrongs has a Catholic parent committed when he or she allows their baby to be baptised by a minister. They wre married in the Church,but one is nonCatholic.

 

[Dr.Colossus]

If the couple was married in the Church, one of the requirements was that they agreed to raise their children Catholic. By having the child baptised in a Protestant church, they have gone back on their word. The baptism is not invalid (assuming the proper formula was used), however, the child’s baptism would not have been recorded in the Church’s records and they would therefore not be open to the rest of the sacraments until this was corrected, and then only if the parents re-affirmed their intentions to raise the child Catholic.

 

[Shiann]

Ultimately, the wrong of keeping that child from the fullness of the Catholic Faith! It was a promise they made to God before they were even married.

Someone else will have more knowledge about particular cannon law.

 

[Dr.Colossus]

Shiann:

Someone else will have more knowledge about particular cannon law.

I should have posted my source from Canon Law:

Can. 1124 Without express permission of the competent authority, a marriage is prohibited between two baptized persons of whom one is baptized in the Catholic Church or received into it after baptism and has not defected from it by a formal act and the other of whom is enrolled in a Church or ecclesial community not in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Can. 1125 The local ordinary can grant a permission of this kind if there is a just and reasonable cause. He is not to grant it unless the following conditions have been fulfilled:

1.) the Catholic party is to declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith and is to make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power so that all offspring are baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church;

2.) the other party is to be informed at an appropriate time about the promises which the Catholic party is to make, in such a way that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and obligation of the Catholic party;

3.) both parties are to be instructed about the purposes and essential properties of marriage which neither of the contracting parties is to exclude.

(emphasis mine)

 

[netmilsmom]

Dr. Colossus:

I should have posted my source from Canon Law:
(emphasis mine)

A friend of mine married a Protestant, 15 years ago. At that time, he was not practicing anything and agreed that any children can be raised Catholic. Since that time they have had a son and the Dad is now “Born Again” in a Fundamentalist Protestant church.

He is fussing that the boy needs to make his own decisions (later in life) about his religion. The boy was Baptized Catholic but now the father is balking about First Communion. He does, however take the boy to Sunday and Wednesday Bible study at his church.

The mother does not know what to do. If the father will not give in, does she excommunicate herself for not living up to her agreement to raise the child Catholic?

 

[Dr.Colossus]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

The mother does not know what to do. If the father will not give in, does she excommunicate herself for not living up to her agreement to raise the child Catholic?

Not in such an instance as this. Notice that Canon Law requires that a parent do everything they can to raise the child Catholic, but if they cannot due to a hostile spouse, they are not at fault.

edit
The Catholic parent would not excommunicate themselves in any case. There is no canonical penalty for failing to live up to their responsibility, though it would be sinful if the parent willingly went back on their promise.

 

[netmilsmom]

Dr. Colossus:

Not in such an instance as this. Notice that Canon Law requires that a parent do everything they can to raise the child Catholic, but if they cannot due to a hostile spouse, they are not at fault.

edit
The Catholic parent would not excommunicate themselves in any case. There is no canonical penalty for failing to live up to their responsibility, though it would be sinful if the parent willingly went back on their promise.

Thank You so Much!
The mom is going to keep plugging along, but I was just speaking to her today and she was very upset.

 

[Catholic2003]

netmil(name removed by moderator):

If the father will not give in, does she excommunicate herself for not living up to her agreement to raise the child Catholic?

The following excommunications from the 1917 Code of Canon Law were abrogated in 1970, though presumably they are still mortal sins:

1917 CIC, Canon 2319, § 1:

Catholics are under an excommunication latae sententiae reserved to the Ordinary:

(1) who contract marriage before a non-Catholic minister contrary to canon 1063, § 1, 1:

(2) who contract marriage with an explicit or implicit agreement that all children or any child be educated outside the Catholic Church;

(3) who knowingly presume to present their children to non-Catholic ministers to be baptized;

(4) who, being parents or taking their place, knowingly present their children to be educated or trained in a non-Catholic religion.

 

[Catholic2003]

Here is the current (1983) canon law:

Canon 1366 Parents, and those taking the place of parents, who hand over their children to be baptised or brought up in a non-catholic religion, are to be punished with a censure or other just penalty.

So the penalty is not an excommunication any more, but this is still clearly not a good thing to do.

The DIRECTORY FOR THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES AND NORMS ON ECUMENISM says:

1. In carrying out this duty of transmitting the Catholic faith to the children, the Catholic parent will do so with respect for the religious freedom and conscience of the other parent and with due regard for the unity and permanence of the marriage and for the maintenance of the communion of the family. If, notwithstanding the Catholic’s best efforts, the children are not baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church, the Catholic parent does not fall subject to the censure of Canon Law. At the same time, his/her obligation to share the Catholic faith with the children does not cease. It continues to make its demands, which could be met, for example, by playing an active part in contributing to the Christian atmosphere of the home; doing all that is possible by word and example to enable the other members of the family to appreciate the specific values of the Catholic tradition; taking whatever steps are necessary to be well informed about hisher own faith so as to be able to explain and discuss it with them; praying with the family for the grace of Christian unity as the Lord wills it.