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Anonymous Anthony wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
A Catholic couple I know was told by their priest that they cannot participate in a non-Catholic wedding, and so the father is unable to walk his daughter down the aisle in his daughter's Baptist wedding.
- Why is this?
- What Canon laws forbid a father from participating in his daughter's non-Catholic wedding?
Anthony
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| { What Canon laws ban a father from walking his daughter down the aisle of his daughter's Baptist wedding? } |
Eric replied:
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Dear Anthony,
- If their daughter was baptized Catholic (which I'm guessing she was, if her parents are practicing Catholics), and
- she has not gotten a dispensation "from form" from the Catholic bishop for her marriage to a non-Catholic in a Baptist church,
then her marriage will not be valid in the eyes of God and of the Church (Code of Canon Law, Canon 1124), and to participate in the wedding would be to bear witness to a lie, encouraging and legitimatizing sinful behavior.
This is not so much based on canon law (although I believe there is a canon that discusses this with regard to official witnesses, which I cannot find at the moment) as on moral principles. For her father to "give her away" would send a very clear and strong message that he approves of what she is doing.
This is not ironclad, however.
- Say her daughter, while baptized Catholic long ago, became Baptist and left the Catholic faith and can't be expected to get married in the Church, and
- suppose that her father has moral certainty that his refusal would only further convince her not to return to Catholicism.
Then perhaps the lesser evil is to participate. Ultimately, it's a judgment call of a well-informed conscience as to what best serves the salvation of her soul.
Eric |
Anthony replied:
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Dear Eric,
Thank you.
The daughter was baptized Catholic as an infant and confirmed as a child but was rushed through Confirmation and didn't understand it. She left Catholicism and was baptized as a Baptist when she was an adult.
She refuses to get a dispensation because that would be bearing false witness acknowledging the Catholic Church as legitimate and she denies that the Catholic Church has any authority over her.
She wants to officially repudiate having been Catholic and is mad that there is no longer any official way to do that. She is very set in being not-Catholic but did not join a Baptist church until about a year ago.
Anthony
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Eric replied:
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Anthony,
That's a very tough situation, because to acknowledge the marriage by walking her down the aisle would be to mistakenly concede or reinforce her belief that the Catholic Church is not legitimate and has no authority over her.
Eric
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Anthony replied:
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Eric,
- Hypothetically if, in the future, she were to get divorced, then wanted to re-marry, because this first marriage is not considered legitimate, would the Catholic Church annul the first marriage?
Anthony
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Eric replied:
Anthony replied:
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Eric,
Thank you.
- Does Canon law 1125 mean that the daughter would not be able to obtain a dispensation for the marriage unless she:
- agreed to declare that she is prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith, and
- made a sincere promise to do all in her power so that all offspring are baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church?
Anthony
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Eric replied:
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Anthony—
I see the dilemma. Yes, it would. You are astute.
Parenthood can require some painful and difficult decisions. I can't make a call on this, I can only inform the conscience.
Eric
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Anthony replied:
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Eric,
Thank you very much you have been most helpful.
Anthony
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