Practical Advice on mixed marriage non-Catholic wedding

[ArchRemmy]

I’m looking for some practical advice about how to handle this situation.

My cousin is nominally Catholic - she has been Confirmed and at a recent family baptism, I noticed she went up to receive Communion.

She is set to marry a non-Catholic Christian in a non-Catholic wedding ceremony and she is unwilling to try and get a dispensation. From what I’ve read, failure to get a dispensation means an invalid and non-sacramental marriage.

Now if my cousin has formally left the Church and joined another church, she wouldn’t be required to be married in a Catholic wedding and she would have a valid and sacramental marriage.

Should I ask her if she still considers herself Catholic? And if she doesn’t should I bring up her receiving the Eucharist?

Anyone with a similar experience?

 

[stbruno]

Is she nominally Catholic because she received poor catechesis? If that is the case then, the most charitable and wisest move might be to begin a dialog…non-confrontational of course.
For example:
Say, I was just reading on a Catholic website the importance and the reasons Catholic are obliged to be married in the Church, so that they can receive the graces offered by meeting with Christ in the sacrament. And when they do ask Christ to be at the wedding, he will be there with them each day of their marriage…which means that they can be with him in Holy Communion as well. If they don’ t invite him, then they cannot receive Communion. And if they are not faithful to him, then even tho he loves them unconditionally, they have separated themselves from him. God is love and if we truly love our spouse, then by our love, it should also lead us ultimately to God.
That’s only logical…if you love, then your marriage has lead you to God. But if you marry without God, then the desire to love is diminished…it becomes only a civil contract not a marriage made in heaven…made by God.
Did you know that, cuz??? and from there, it doesn’t say aloud about their own marriage, but unless your cousin is clueless, she will catch the inference to her own decision about marriage.
Before you even attempt this, you need to be in a fairly good working relationship with your cousin…If you are skeptical if you can pull it off…then email your cuz. But before you do anything, take some time for Eucharistic adoration, asking the Holy Spirit to put the right words in your mouth, so that you do not come off self-righteous or condescending, but rather a cousin who is saying these things purely out of love and desire for your cousin to one day be happy with Jesus in heaven…with you and your family close-by. And if she opens her heart to you and says where can she find information regarding mixed marriages…tell her to begin with talking with a priest…and here is another reference point offered by our diocese. www.inthespiritofcana.org

Good luck…

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I’m looking for some practical advice about how to handle this situation.

My cousin is nominally Catholic - she has been Confirmed and at a recent family baptism, I noticed she went up to receive Communion.

She is set to marry a non-Catholic Christian in a non-Catholic wedding ceremony and she is unwilling to try and get a dispensation. From what I’ve read, failure to get a dispensation means an invalid and non-sacramental marriage.

Now if my cousin has formally left the Church and joined another church, she wouldn’t be required to be married in a Catholic wedding and she would have a valid and sacramental marriage.

Should I ask her if she still considers herself Catholic? And if she doesn’t should I bring up her receiving the Eucharist?

Anyone with a similar experience?

Let’s see is it better to be an invalidly Married Catholic or a validly Married Catholic Apostate?

I would ask her about her Catholic Faith. That you noticed that she went up for Holy Communion. She should be reminded that the Marriage is NOT valid if she does not do what is required of a Catholic entering into a mixed Marriage.

It is simply a relationship of Fornication or an Adulterous relationship if either have been previously Married.
Neither of which could not be attended by any Catholic in good moral conscience.

 

[Mintaka]

Also, your cousin may think that dispensations are hard to get; but AFAIK, that’s not true these days. Maybe you could call the parish or archdiocese and find out the exact procedure, if she doesn’t know it?

My parents were a mixed marriage back in the old days, and my grandfather made sure his little girl not only got a dispensation, but a nuptial Mass too! It was like a holy crusade of justice!

And now, when your cousin could have all these blessings so easily…

Sigh. People just don’t know their own luck.