Why is it so hard to convert?

[t2doan]

I am currently Protestant. Recently I got engaged and my fiance is Catholic. After giving it much thought, I have decided to convert to Catholicism so that we can have a sacramental wedding. However, my situation is an odd one. While I am here in the U.S., my fiance is back home in another country. We plan to have the wedding in February back home. Afterwards, we both will be residing here in the U.S. So then I sought advice on how to convert to Catholicism and have found that it is extremely difficult to do so. When speaking to the local Catholic church here, I was told that I will have to go through the RCIA classes. And being that I have never been baptized, I will have to be baptized on the Easter Vigil. I have no problem attending the RCIA classes, however, it is only offered in fall and runs past February, my wedding date. This goes for not only this one church but for several I was told. So the timeframe is a huge barrier for me at this time. Are there any exceptions to this rule? Please kindly advise.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I think the problem may be that you are converting for a wrong reason; which, if I understand you correctly, is so you can be married to a Catholic in the Catholic Church. Because your conversion is revolving around your wedding plans that is why you are unwilling to take the necessary time to fully engage in the conversion process.

I am in no way discouraging you from conversion. But you must convert for the right reason: Because Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church and you wish to follow him through the Church he founded for your salvation. To become educated in the Catholic faith takes time and effort, and should not be speeded up so that it can fit into your wedding plans.

Besides, it is totally unnecessary to convert to Catholicism immediately in order for you to marry in the Catholic Church. Your fiance’s ordinary (i.e., local bishop) can give him a dispensation to marry a non-Catholic. Since you are currently unbaptized, you would be married to each other in a nuptial liturgy outside of Mass. Once you are received into the Church through baptism, your marriage will become automatically sacramental.