Is a catholic who marries a non-catholic in a civil ceremony considered married? can that catholic take communion?

-- Joseph Charles (JOSEPH.CHARLES-105925@jpl.nasa.gov), November 15, 2002

Answers

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

Baltimore Catechism #3, Lesson 26:Q.

Q1011. Can a Christian man and woman be united in lawful marriage in any other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony?

A. A Christian man and woman cannot be united in lawful marriage in any other way than by the Sacrament of Matrimony, because Christ raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament.

-- jake (jake1@pngusa.net), November 15, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

Joseph,

Jake's answer was correct but I would like to expand? Can the person take communion. Yes, if they have not consumated the marriage. However, this is unlikely. They will need to have the marriage blessed by the Catholic Church. Otherwise, they are committing fornication.

Hope that helps.

The next issue

-- Glenn (Glenn@nospam.com), November 15, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

Joseph,

Please stay away from the Eucharist. It would be a very grave sin for you to receive Communion at this time. I don't think you could get absolution unless you decided to live like brother and sister with your wife until you have your marriage blessed by the Church.

I think if you were living a chaste life that you would of mentioned it in your orginal question.

Go talk to a Priest next week. You could probably fix this problem quicker than you think, and start receiving the Eucharist again. It sounds like you want to make it right in God's eyes.

God bless you

David

-- David (David@excite.com), November 16, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

Fellas! You all talk as if there were only one way to skin a cat! A little flexible thinking could 'skin this cat' in a myriad of ways.

For example, both parties to the marriage could convert to the Russian Orthodox church. Or become Copts. Or Nestorians. Or Anglicans. I hear the Presbyterians 'do' communion, too. Not to mention the Church of Christ, the Baptists (all flavors), the Lutherans, the Syrian Orthodox and the Greek Orthodox. I know I am forgetting quite a few, but with so many sects naming them all is a trial and a sore vexation.

-- Aimless (aimless@national_raffle_association.org), November 16, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

Your "aimless" presence here is a "trial and sore vexation" for the rest of us, Miss Aimless.

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 16, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

?? J.F., call off the dogs ... I thought Aimless was taking a wry and amusing potshot at the 5,353,263,842,883 and counting Protestant demoninations in existence as of 2:50 p.m. PST today ...

-- Christine L. :-) (chris_tine_lehman@hotmail.com), November 21, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

I think you're right, Christine.
I think I was wrong, misreading Aimless's probable sarcasm. JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 23, 2002.

Response to Is a marriage in which a catholic marries a non-catholic in a civil cermony be considered married

And I forgot to apologize to Aimless, too. JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 24, 2002.