Why do most Catholic churches require at least one person to be a practicing Catholic in order to marry people?

Question

I am a former Catholic,, now Church of Christ. I am getting married in September, however the Church of Christ does not use its buildings for weddings/funerals, but worship only. So I am thinking about making a one-time return to a catholic church to get married, but the ones I talked to won't marry us because I am not a practicing catholic, and my girlfriend is non-catholic.
Don't priests know that they have married so many couples, whom after the wedding don't go back to church again, until they have a child and want it baptized? At least I go to church every sunday SOMEWHERE. So what's the problem?

Answer 1

Unlike most other Christian Churches, Marriage in the Catholic Church is a sacrament and means much more than just a contract between a man and a women. Two non-Catholics cannot receive this Catholic sacrament.



The Catholic Church believes that God himself is the author of marriage and has created it for one man and one woman.



The spouses of a valid marriage:

• Create a bond, which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive.

• Are strengthened and consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state.

• Are sealed by God himself in their consent to mutually give and receive one another.

• Form a covenant that is integrated into God's covenant with man: "Authentic married love is caught up into divine love."

• Have their own special grace that:

. • Perfects the couple's love.

. • Strengthens their unity.

. • Helps one another to attain holiness in their married life.

. • Helps in welcoming and educating their children.



For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt3art7.shtml



With love in Christ.

Answer 2

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The Catholic Church does not administer any Holy Sacraments to non-Catholics. In the case of a marriage, in which two people receive the Sacrament, at least one MUST be an active practicing Catholic.



Why? The act of receiving a Sacrament in the Catholic Church is a profession of Faith in all that the Church believes and practices. Since non-Catholics don't believe everything the Church believes and practices, what's the point?





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If only you were still an active practicing Catholic, there wouldn't have been a problem.

See what happens when you leave the Church?





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You must commit to a permanent return to the Church if you want to be married in the Catholic Church.



Since you are now a member of the Church of Christ, you're real beef shouldn't be with the Catholic Church but with the Church of Christ.





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You're making an assumption and you shouldn't do that. For the sake of argument, let's assume you're right - a lapsed Catholic is still a step closer to the Church than a non-Catholic. That's the difference.



If a priest marries a Catholic couple that goes lapsed, the moral culpability is on the a couple, not the priest.

If a priest marries a non-Catholic couple, the moral culpability is on the priest - for abusing/misusing a Holy Sacrament, not on the non-Catholic couple.





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The problem is you are not going to Church every Sunday in a Catholic Church. That's the problem.

Answer 3

You must not have had much education about Catholic teaching when you were still Catholic.



Marriage is a SACRAMENT for Catholics. A holy rite, akin to Baptism, a three-way covenant between a man, a woman and God.



So just like your church wouldn't stand for somebody just popping in to get baptized with no intention of actually practicing the faith the way your church teaches it, the Catholic Church cannot have people just popping in to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony with no intention of ever returning.



It is true that some Catholic couples do that, but the Church is reaching out to them and have some hope the these couples will practice regularly because they still want to call themselves Catholic.



You, on the other hand, have rejected Catholic teaching and have moved on. That's the "problem." You don't want to be Catholic, and if you're honest, I'm sure you'd admit that you don't want to receive any Catholic sacrament, matrimony included.



Try an Episcopalian church. They are often quite pretty and they don't consider marriage to be a sacrament.

Answer 4

The reason that the catholic Chgurch will not marry you is that in the Catholic Church, a wedding IS a form of worship. It is a sacrament, which is an efficacious sign, instituted by Christ by which God shares His life with us.



You are not allowed to get married in a Catholic Church because you have left the Catholic faith and no longer worship in the Catholic Church.



True, many couples never set foot in a church after the wedding, but there is the hope that they will after the marriage. You have already stated that there is no chance of you setting foot inside a Catholic church.



Please find some place else to have your wedding. maybe a pretty wedding chapel.

Answer 5

Catholics consider marriage a sacrament. Other Christians don't believe in sacraments, so Catholics will not confer sacraments on to non-Catholics. It would be insulting to your Church of Christ and to the Catholic Church.



There are really a lot of rules to marrying in a Catholic Church, and those who do take pre-marital classes and agree to raise their children Catholic. My husband is a non-Catholic, so we required special dispensation to marry in the Church. Catholics consider marriage in the Church a very big deal and part of being in union with the Catholic community. I'm sorry that the priest hurt your feelings, but you'll likely find a similar issue in Anglican, Episcopalian, Orthodox and Lutheran parishes, who have a very specific idea of what consistutes a Christian marriage.



I have heard that baptist and evangelical churches will often marry Christian couples who are not of their specific denomination. This might be another avenue to try.

Answer 6

when I have been given married, my family contributors demanded that we get married in a catholic church even however no person is going to church. One companion desires to be a Catholic someway and that they do no longer might desire to have long undergone communion (I by no capability did). What occurs is next you do 2 weekends of 8 hours an afternoon the place they teach you approximately God, infants, being a sturdy catholic, have as many infants as available. rather plenty it grow to be a recruiting technique. Then we took a distinct decision attempt that had unusual questions which includes, "Your gay thoughts intervene along with your courting. Agree or disagree?" How do you answer that? in case you probably did no longer do nicely then you definately refer to the priest. If no longer, you graduate in a fashion and get the alright to get married. For a Godparent, we had 2 people who weren't catholic and it did no longer matter. The 4 human beings basically went to a 6 hour lecture room element the place they talked slightly greater and we've been executed.

Answer 7

Where do other Church of Christ couples get married? Talk to your minister. You are not reasonable. It is ok that your church denies marriages but not ok that the Catholics do it? You are a little one sided here.





The Catholic church has every right to marry who they will. I personally think marrying atheists in a House of God is totally wrong. In your case I still stand behind the Catholic Church denying you.

Answer 8

Your what i would call a user,you left the true body of Christ and now your in conflict with your new Religion. Sorry but Christ is not for loan so like the old saying goes you made your Bed now sleep in it.Besides i'm certain there are other Protestant Churches that will gladly except your personal wants. One last thought Judas used and left Christ also.

Answer 9

Because you are not requesting a Catholic wedding which is also a Sacrament. Catholic churches are for Catholic weddings...not someone who just wants to have a ceremony in it. Keep searching...there are plenty of Protestant churches that will "rent out" their building and marry you.

Answer 10

The problem is that you're asking a priest to stand up before the community and proclaim that he sees fit that you and your spouse meet the prerequisites that we as Catholics accept for persons to be married. The fact that you are NOT Catholic undermines the most basic part of that!



Why would we EVER just let anyone use our facilities? The sacrament of marriage is sacred and precious to us, and we want to ensure it's sanctity, at least within our own communities.

Answer 11

The catholic church believes that marriage is a convenant and it is sacred before God. Marrying you means that the priest is blessing your marriage under that convenant. Why would you take this so lightly?



Why would you want to come back just to get married? If the Catholic faith doesn't mean that much to you then don't marry in it's house....find a different forum to marry.

Answer 12

Because marriage is one of the sacraments of the Catholic Church and only practicing Catholics can celebrate the sacraments.



God bless,

Stanbo

Answer 13

One must be Catholic, the other must agree to accept Catholicism (receive Confirmation prior to marriage) and raise the children within this religion.



That is the reason why they're not accepting you. Religious views. If you don't believe in Catholicism, why would you wish to be married there? That is being a *bit* of a hypocrite IMO



**Just because you go to a Church, doesn't mean you are abiding by the Catholic view on religion. Do you see what I'm getting at?

Answer 14

Marriage is a religious institution. That is why the religion has the right to decide whether or not to offer it to any given couple.

Answer 15

try a baptist church they are more liberal with gods house