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Hi, guys —
My brother-in-law is getting married in May
to a nice girl (I don't know her faith
background but she attends a non-denominational
church when she can.) They are having
an outdoor wedding in a historical setting.
He is a baptized Catholic but never received
any other sacraments and grew up with a dad
that was very anti-Catholic. He attends
church infrequently and from what I know, has
no interest in joining the Catholic Church.
When he visits us, he will sometimes attend
Mass with us, was best man at our wedding,
and has attended all the children's Baptisms.
I always joked that I wanted him
to marry a Catholic girl and suggested he
convert one day. I pray for the conversion
of my husband's family daily.
I am confused because I read for a baptized
Catholic to have a valid marriage it has to
take place in the Church.
- Does this count as a valid marriage since he was
baptized as an infant but not raised in
the Church?
I am asking because it is hard to be joyful
when I really wish their wedding celebration
would be in a church setting (really any Christian
church) instead of a civil ceremony
setting. Obviously, this is not going to happen
since he has no desire to convert and, even
if he did, they are not going to go through any RCIA program and prepare for a Catholic marriage in
five months.
I know that this does not affect my immediate
family and shouldn't bother me but I guess,
being a woman, I have known my husband's family
since I was fifteen, (I'm now thirty),
and I can't shake how I feel, from the pit
of my stomach, about their nuptials. I am
happy for them but continue to pray they will
come into the faith.
Jayla
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