Second Marriage

[Byzantine]

My parents were married with disparity of cult, dad Hindu, mom ByzCat. My dad never converted and they divorced, but the marriage wasn't dissolved/annulled (disparity of cult gets dissolved by a privilege, not annulled, right?).

Fast forward to present day. My dad's getting remarried by a judge November 30th. I doubt the woman was ever baptized. Probably also Hindu.

Questions I have:[list=1]
[*]Can I attend the wedding?
[*]What are my obligations at said wedding?
[*]What are my obligations to the new wife?
[*]What about her son? Is he my stepbrother?
[/list]
Thanks!

[CatherineM]

I'm not an expert on what happens at a Hindu wedding, but yes you can go. You can't participate in any of the rites. If you feel uncomfortable, it's okay to skip the service but go to the reception. Just be honest with your Dad about why.

You should respect your new step-mother. Whether you come to feel parental emotion for her or not is up to you. You should try to be cordial and wish them well on the beginning of their lives together. Second marriages aren't easy, and your Dad will need your support.

As to your step-brother, the relationship you have with him depends entirely on the two of you. Even if you want one, that doesn't mean he does. Be open and take it slow. He may be as unsure about this stuff as you are.

Loving your Dad doesn't mean you love your Mom any less. Their divorce doesn't mean you were a mistake. We can't know what God intended for any of us really. My mom was a widow for 26 years and spent 25 of them with someone so unpleasant most of us couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. We had to love her more than we hated him.