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Anton Dieck
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Hi, guys —
I was raised Catholic from birth but I am now an Evangelical and my parents want me to marry in Catholic Church.
- Does the Catholic Church accept the presence of Evangelical priest?
Anton Dieck
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{
To please my parents, can an Protestant minister witness a marriage in a Catholic Church? }
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Mike replied:
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Hi Anton,
Thanks for the question.
Can you clarify it a bit.
By the sounds of it, you are a Protestant minister who wants to marry in the Catholic Church to make your parents happy.
Is this correct or am I off?
On a side note: There is no such thing as an Evangelical priest, as the word priest, implies the sacrificial nature of his office. The Reformers at the Reformation opposed a sacrificial priesthood.
Mike
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Anton replied:
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Hi Mike,
I was raised a Catholic then became an Evangelical. I am from Bethlehem, in the Holy land. My parents want me to merry in Catholic Church but I am now studying Theology at the London School of Theology.
- Due to the desire of my parents, can an Evangelical Priest witness a marriage in a Catholic Church?
Sincerely Yours,
Anton
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Fr. Jonathan replied:
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Hi, Anton —
This one is still confusing, sorry.
- What is the faith of the person you are marrying?
- Have you formally left the Church such that you consider yourself no longer a Catholic?
If you consider yourself a former Catholic and you are marrying a non-Catholic, then the Church would not recognize your marriage outside of the Church.
In order for this to happen the Catholic would have to make a promise to remain a Catholic and to do all in his power to baptize and raise the children as Catholics.
Obviously, you could not make these promises and therefore the Catholic Church could not recognize your marriage.
Fr. Jonathan
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Anton replied:
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Hi Fr. Jonathan,
I am a former Catholic and my wife is an Evangelical but we desire to marry in Catholic Church with an Evangelical priest.
- Is it possible, especially since I am from the Holy Land, in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born?
Sincerely Yours,
Anton Dieck
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Fr. Jonathan replied:
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Hi, Anton —
OK, it is unusual but no longer confusing.
If you went to Confession and came back to good standing with the Catholic Church, you could be married in the Church.
The Church will not allow you to be married by a non-Catholic in the Catholic Church without Reconciliation.
Fr. Jonathan
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Mike replied:
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Hi Anton,
As Fr. Jonathan said, the Church would not allow you to marry without reconciliation and seeing you are studying at a Protestant Theological seminary, their is no way you can even try to make a firm purpose of amendment to return to the Church.
What your parent want can't be granted because of the faith choices you have made up to now.
You can't have a sacramental marriage in the Church when you don't even believe in the Church and all Her teachings.
Mike
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Anton replied:
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