Non-catholics At Mass

[inDEED]

Nothing against your priest or your diocese's policy, but I've never liked that.  It's basicly saying that the Holy Sacrifice is less important than being policitally correct and not hurting anyone's feelings.  I definitley want a Mass at my wedding should God be calling me to the married life.  I don't care if my bride is Catholic or not.  I mean, are we not going to ask Christ and the Holy Spirit to bless the marriage if a Christian and a Jew get married, or a Muslim, or a Budhist, or whatever?

Completely agree...

[Dave]

I'd thought I'd heard every example of possible rudeness to take place at a wedding, but now I can truly say I've heard everything! I've never seen non-Catholics act that way at the nuptial Masses I've attended. How'd they like it if people did that at their own weddings?

[dUSt]

Completely agree...

I disagree.

If either the bride or the groom are not Catholic, I think it would be better not to have a full mass at your wedding. The fact that only one person will partake in the Eucharist doesn't show much unity. I just think it would be very odd for either the bride or groom to receive the body while the other just watched.

[cappie]

Whilst Mass may be celebrated at a "mixed marriage" usually the priest will advise against but he cannot refuse as far as I know at least in Australia.

As far as ignorant behaviour is concerned during Mass or any of the other sacraments are concerned I have usually been more disturbed by the behaviour of some "Catholics". Protestants and others who disrepect the liturgy of the Church and the Sacraments often do so out of ignorance or embarrasment at not being used to the idea of the holy.

Catholics should know better. "To him who is given much, much will be demanded...." Luke 12:48

[LTNgurl]

:angry: but we have to forgive them, they dont know what they are missing out on

i know they were disrespectful, ppl like that upset me too. ppl these days dont have manners!!

[ICTHUS]

Nothing against your priest or your diocese's policy, but I've never liked that.  It's basicly saying that the Holy Sacrifice is less important than being policitally correct and not hurting anyone's feelings.  I definitley want a Mass at my wedding should God be calling me to the married life.  I don't care if my bride is Catholic or not.  I mean, are we not going to ask Christ and the Holy Spirit to bless the marriage if a Christian and a Jew get married, or a Muslim, or a Budhist, or whatever?

The question you should be asking there is "Why the HECK is a Catholic marrying a (Muslim or Buddhist), whatever, when Scripture tells us plainly NOT TO BE YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS!!!!????

[Anna]

Whilst Mass may be celebrated at a "mixed marriage" usually the priest will advise against but he cannot refuse as far as I know at least in Australia.

As far as ignorant behaviour is concerned during Mass or any of the other sacraments are concerned I have usually been more disturbed by the behaviour of some "Catholics". Protestants and others who disrepect the liturgy of the Church and the Sacraments often do so out of ignorance or embarrasment at not being used to the idea of the holy.

Catholics should know better. "To him who is given much, much will be demanded...." Luke 12:48

You are, of course, correct, Father.

Many brides and bridal parties dress immodestly, knowing that they'll be at a Mass, yet choosing tight and revealing formals. Some act very giddy (perhaps partially out of nervousness) which seems disrespectful. I remember one wedding in our parish years ago. My pastor was so embarassed and angry, I'd never seen his face so red.

I had gone down to the community room, where the copy machine was, to insert pro-life materials into our weekly bulletin, and the bridal party had left the room in a wreck. They'd been boozing it up down there before the ceremony!

(But I have also noticed a non-Catholic in-law of mine who jabbers all through weddings as if she's in a protestant gathering. As an Episcopalian, you'd think she'd know that silence is to be observed during the Mass. She calls her services "Mass," and her minister a "priest," but when in a Catholic Church, she talks right out loud...very aggravating! )

:(

[Good Friday]

The question you should be asking there is "Why the HECK is a Catholic marrying a (Muslim or Buddhist), whatever, when Scripture tells us plainly NOT TO BE YOKED WITH UNBELIEVERS!!!!????

I don't want to get into an intermarriage debate, because frankly I think that intermarriage isn't always a good idea. Marrying a non-Christian can sometimes be a bad idea, since many non-Christians will either want to raise their children in their faith or raise them in neither faith to allow them to make a decision later in life. Even intermarriage with other Christians can be a bad idea. They may not care that you're Catholic when you marry, but when you go to raise their kids Catholic they might be a bit repelled by it -- even the non-Catholics who aren't very active in their own faiths. So, personally, I don't think it's the best idea in the world. There's also the problem that many other religions and other Christian denominations think contraception is okay, whereas it's a grave sin in the Catholic Church. These differences in belief can cause marital problems, though they don't always cause them.

However, I thought I should point out that -- even though I don't like the idea of intermarriage on a personal level -- the Church does permit it, provided that the Catholic will continue to practice his/her faith and that it's understood that the children must be raised Catholic. So your assertion that Scripture says not to intermarry is out of context.

You cannot privately interpret this or any other Scripture. You must look to the teaching of the Catholic Church for the interpretation of this and all other Scriptures, and the teaching of the Catholic Church is that intermarriage can be permitted as long as the Catholic spouse continues to practice the Catholic faith and as long as the children are raised Catholic.

[ICTHUS]

Well how's about this. I interpret that Scripture, for myself, to mean that I am not to marry an unbeliever, under any circumstances. I dont believe that it's Gods will for us to marry unbelievers.

[ICTHUS]

Another question: Petrine/Pauline privilege in dissolving marriages - how often is it used??

[Good Friday]

It's fine for you not to marry an unbeliever. I would encourage you not to. But what's not fine is for you to say that the teaching of the Church is wrong, and the Church teaches that intermarriage is acceptable. I understand that you don't want to marry an unbeliever, but my question is: Do you deny that validity of the Church teaching that states one can marry an unbeliever?

Personal preferences and absolute truth are entirely different ball games. I could choose not to eat pork like many Jews and Muslims do, but to state that one must not eat pork as an absolute truth would be wrong. I'm just trying to ascertain whether or not this is your personal preference, or if you think it applies to everyone.

[Ellenita]

Talking of disrespectful behaviour, I was really upset when a woman who had been making really loud negative comments all the way round a Church I was visiting, blew out the candles which people had lit for other people for whom they wanted prayers to be said. I really felt that even though she was very anti Christianity she should have shown respect to other people's beliefs.

On another occasion I nearly fainted when a visitor to a really beautiful 11th Century church walked right across the front of the high alter. It's an high anglican church and only the priest and servers are usually 'allowed' in that area.

[Joolye]

Even though I am a Protestant, I agree that it is rude of people to be making loud noises, laughing etc, during that wedding service, and other masses and whatever else has been mentioned.

[foundsheep]

Well how's about this. I interpret that Scripture, for myself, to mean that I am not to marry an unbeliever, under any circumstances. I dont believe that it's Gods will for us to marry unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 7:12-16

12

To the rest I say (not the Lord): if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is willing to go on living with him, he should not divorce her;

13

and if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to go on living with her, she should not divorce her husband.

14

For the unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through the brother. Otherwise your children would be unclean, whereas in fact they are holy.

15

If the unbeliever separates, however, let him separate. The brother or sister is not bound in such cases; God has called you to peace.

16

For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband; or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

[marielapin]

I feel really sorry for this couple. If this happened at my wedding, I would have been very very upset.

3/4 of the guests at my wedding were non-Catholic. It was a beautiful service. Most of the folks had never been to a Catholic service of any kind. Everyone was very respectful and it was appreciated greatly.

On top of being disrespectul to Our Lord in the Eucharist, they were being disrespectful to the bride and groom. How awful!