i'm catholic (from Italy) and my fiance is baptist (from USA). we love eachother and we want to live together. Can we get married in my catholic church (in Italy)? does he need some permission from church since he's not catholic? thank you

-- ornella barbarito (orwalker@tiscalinet.it), March 02, 2002

Answers

Hello, Ornella.
Assuming that you are both free to be married (never married before and now divorced), you certainly can be married in your parish church -- if your bishop gives you a dispensation (special permission) to do this. Permission for a mixed marriage is almost always granted.

Your pastor will explain to both of you your responsibilities as a married couple, and you will probably have to receive special counseling and marriage preparation.
Ornella, you will have to promise to remain Catholic and to do everything in your power to raise your children as Catholics. Your friend does not have to make this promise, but he must be told that you have made it. You should discuss this with him. In my opinion, if he refuses to allow the children to be raised Catholic, you should not marry him.
If either of you thinks that marriage is not for life (until death parts you), you should not be married. If either of you is unwilling to have children, you cannot be married, because the union would not be valid. (I mention this because I know that the average completed family in Italy has just about 1.2 children. Thousands of couples have no children at all, and many of them are probably not validly married.)

May God bless you with a fruitful and happy marriage.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), March 02, 2002.