Vows between a Catholic and non-Catholic?

[momof8]

My nephew was married this past weekend. At the exchange or rings, they said “Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity… in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

What happens when a Catholic marries a non-Christian? Do they both leave out the last part of the exchange? My daughter is engaged to a non-Christian and it makes me sad to think she would leave those words out just because he would not say them. It’s not that he is hostile toward Christianity, but that it wouldn’t make sense for a person with no interest in Christianity to say them.

What else would change in the vows? And isn’t a vow by definition something made before God? Then how could a non-Christian make a vow?

Thanks for any information.

 

[BiologyBrain]

My nephew was married this past weekend. At the exchange or rings, they said “Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity… in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

What happens when a Catholic marries a non-Christian? Do they both leave out the last part of the exchange? My daughter is engaged to a non-Christian and it makes me sad to think she would leave those words out just because he would not say them. It’s not that he is hostile toward Christianity, but that it wouldn’t make sense for a person with no interest in Christianity to say them.

What else would change in the vows? And isn’t a vow by definition something made before God? Then how could a non-Christian make a vow?

Thanks for any information.

Don’t give up on it yet!

I married a non-Christian and our vows were entirely the same as any other Catholic vows. He said the “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It may be something that the priest speaks to the couple about prior to the marriage. However, our priest didn’t really discuss it that much with us. Once we resolved that we were having a wedding without Mass (b/c of all the non-Catholic (non)Christians on his side) and that as a non-Catholic he would promise to help me raise our children Catholic, it was a done deal. Everything else about our wedding followed standard procedures. There is actually a Rite of Catholic Wedding (no Mass option) to a non-Christian/Catholic. The priest used the typical book of prayers and such. We even did the adoration of Mary as an optional part. I think alot depends on the openess of the non-Catholic/Christian and the priest. I probably could have forced my wedding into a Mass, but I thought it would be better to keep it simple.

 

[Phemie]

My nephew was married this past weekend. At the exchange or rings, they said “Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity… in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

What happens when a Catholic marries a non-Christian? Do they both leave out the last part of the exchange? My daughter is engaged to a non-Christian and it makes me sad to think she would leave those words out just because he would not say them. It’s not that he is hostile toward Christianity, but that it wouldn’t make sense for a person with no interest in Christianity to say them.

What else would change in the vows? And isn’t a vow by definition something made before God? Then how could a non-Christian make a vow?

Thanks for any information.

I know that there is a specific rite used for a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Christian. I cannot remember specifically what the differences are but I know that any reference to a sacrament is omitted since in that case it is not a sacrament.

 

[momof8]

Thanks, Biology Brain and Phemie, for your responses. Based on your answers I googled Rite of Catholic Marriage Non-Christian and did find helpful information.

I saw that the priest says, “What God has joined” etc and asked dd what her fiance says about that since he I thought he was atheist and she said that actually he believes in God, just not Jesus (yet! He will have a mil who will certainly be praying for his conversion, although of course we want it to be from his heart.)