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Seanache
Guest
Okay so I heard from my girlfriend that her aunt said that if your having a catholic wedding that your maid of honour and your best man also have to be catholic, have any of you heard anything else like this??
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Phemie
Guest
No, there is no requirement for witnesses to be Catholic. Unlike godparents, who make promises for the child, witnesses at a wedding are just that, witnesses, there for legal as well as canonical reasons. I’ve never heard of the priest asking about the witnesses’ religion - not even back in 1975 before the new Code of Canon Law was published. Both our witnesses were non-Catholic (Anglican and United) but the question simply wasn’t asked.Okay so I heard from my girlfriend that her aunt said that if your having a catholic wedding that your maid of honour and your best man also have to be catholic, have any of you heard anything else like this??
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BlestOne
Guest
I got married in 2005 and we were told that ours had to be Catholic and confirmed so that they could sign as witnesses to our marriage. My pastor even contacted our Bishop because my maid of honor was not confirmed yet but was in confirmation prep. Our bishop allowed her to be maid of honor when the pastor explained that she and her brothers (my children) had top scores in Religion class and always scored the highest in the school and in the top 5% in the diocese…
Our Bishop even remembered her name when she was confirmed and mentioned something about the wedding…
Our Bishop even remembered her name when she was confirmed and mentioned something about the wedding…
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_Jenn
Guest
married in 2001 here; my MOH was (still is) Catholic, our best man was not. No problems here. Same two people are my son’s godparents (yeah, I know - one “technically” isn’t but to us, he is)
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EmBee
Guest
I’ve heard mixed responses about this question, too. Does anyone know of an official Church document that has the answer?
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Joannm
Guest
Our best man was Jewish. No problem.
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dixieagle
Guest
Near as I can tell, Canon law doesn’t address the religion of the witnesses:
Can. 1108 §1 Only those marriages are valid which are contracted in the presence of the local Ordinary or parish priest or of the priest or deacon delegated by either of them, who, in the presence of two witnesses, assists, in accordance however with the rules set out in the following canons, and without prejudice to the exceptions mentioned in canon 144, 1112 §1, 1116 and 1127 §2¬3.
This may be addressed somewhere else, but I haven’t found it, and have been to many Catholic weddings with non-Catholic witnesses.
At our daughter’s wedding last month, her maid of honor (her sister) was a practicing Catholic, the best man was not, and ours was a very traditional officiant.
Can. 1108 §1 Only those marriages are valid which are contracted in the presence of the local Ordinary or parish priest or of the priest or deacon delegated by either of them, who, in the presence of two witnesses, assists, in accordance however with the rules set out in the following canons, and without prejudice to the exceptions mentioned in canon 144, 1112 §1, 1116 and 1127 §2¬3.
This may be addressed somewhere else, but I haven’t found it, and have been to many Catholic weddings with non-Catholic witnesses.
At our daughter’s wedding last month, her maid of honor (her sister) was a practicing Catholic, the best man was not, and ours was a very traditional officiant.
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allhers
Guest
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Light_Seeker
Guest
Hmmmm.
In our convalidation ceremony a few years ago, our priest asked if at least one of the witnesses, best man or bridesmaid, was Catholic.
Both were, so wasn’t an issue.
In our convalidation ceremony a few years ago, our priest asked if at least one of the witnesses, best man or bridesmaid, was Catholic.
Both were, so wasn’t an issue.
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Cat
Guest
My daughter just served as Matron of Honor for a college friend.
The college friend and her husband are religion majors at a Catholic university, both working towards their Ph.Ds in Religion. Both are devout Catholics, daily Massers, who practice their Catholicism boldly.
That’s one reason my daughter became friends with them. She is not Catholic, but she hates hypocrisy and wishy-washiness, and loves sincerity and devotion.
I think it is safe to say that this couple and their priest knew the “rules” about Catholic weddings. My daughter, a non-Catholic, was the Matron of Honor. So it must be allowed. I have a hard time believing that this couple, of all couple, would disregard rubrics, as they are so faithful in everything else regarding Catholicism.
The college friend and her husband are religion majors at a Catholic university, both working towards their Ph.Ds in Religion. Both are devout Catholics, daily Massers, who practice their Catholicism boldly.
That’s one reason my daughter became friends with them. She is not Catholic, but she hates hypocrisy and wishy-washiness, and loves sincerity and devotion.
I think it is safe to say that this couple and their priest knew the “rules” about Catholic weddings. My daughter, a non-Catholic, was the Matron of Honor. So it must be allowed. I have a hard time believing that this couple, of all couple, would disregard rubrics, as they are so faithful in everything else regarding Catholicism.
If there is such a Church requirement then many of the Catholic weddings I have attended recently must not be valid since some of the witnesses have not even been Christian, let alone Catholic.
However it is certainly possible that some dioceses and/or parishes have set up more specific requirements regarding the witnesses. That might be where some of the requirements regarding Catholic witnesses to matrimony are coming from.
However it is certainly possible that some dioceses and/or parishes have set up more specific requirements regarding the witnesses. That might be where some of the requirements regarding Catholic witnesses to matrimony are coming from.
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