Should I marry someone who supports abortion?

[wilt2448]

I am Catholic and very pro-life. I have been dating someone who is Protestant and is pro-choice. Neither of us is likely to change our belief on this subject. She is a very spiritual person and feels very close to God but is not necessarily religious in the sense of belonging to an organized religion. We are in agreement on most other important issues and have a lot in common. She accepts my religion and has no desire to change it.

I am 64 and she is 67, so if we were to get married having children is extremely unlikely. I understand that God can cause anything to happen but it would probably be a new world record for age if she were to become pregnant. Therefore the issue is more philosophical than anything else for us. To her, the abortion issue is a woman’s rights issue and for me it’s a moral issue that trancends women’s rights.

Is there anything in the Catholic religion that would prevent us from being married in a manner that the Catholic Church would recognize? If we were to get married I would want to continue to attend Mass and receive the sacraments. Am I responsible for another adult’s (my potential wife’s) beliefs?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

It is important to remember the purpose of marriage: To provide for each spouse a partner to help him or her on the road to heaven. It is a vocation that forms the partners in sanctity, whether or not their marriage is blessed with children.

It may appear that your difference of opinion is merely philosophical because you are both past childbearing age, but I can think of some practical ways in which your friend’s pro-abortion beliefs could affect your married life.

Will she want to donate to pro-abortion causes? Will she resent you giving to pro-life causes? Will either of you want to become active in supporting your positions (e.g., attending marches, protesting abortion centers or pro-life events, praying as a couple)? Is there the possibility that your friend could influence the views on life of impressionable young people or other individuals within your extended circle of family and friends?

So far as I know, the Church would not forbid you to marry this woman (assuming you are both otherwise free to marry), but prudence suggests that doing so may not be wise.

Recommended reading:

Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments by Randy Alcorn