i was baptized lutheran, but want to convert to catholicism. i have been attending rcia classes for over six months. i was recently told that before i can come into the church i have to have my marriage blessed by the priest. i was married in a church in hawaii, and my husband was never baptized. do i have to have my marriage blessed (both of us were not catholic)? if so, what is the justification? why doesn't the church recognize our marriage if they recognize my baptism?

-- cindy (toastinc@comcast.net), June 24, 2004

Answers

cindy,

im glad youre coming to the catholic church and i know that you will find much truth in the church that God founded.

do i have to have my marriage blessed (both of us were not catholic)? if so, what is the justification?

its really a simple process, you meet with your priest or bishop and discuss the wedding ceremony with them. they ask you a few questions and then give you the certificate. its no big deal. i'll cover the justifications below for your next question, but i wanted to let you know that the process isnt difficult, just talk to your priest about it and your concerns.

why doesn't the church recognize our marriage if they recognize my baptism?

baptism CAN be a complex ritual, and in other parishes it is much more simple. there is varience on the methods in which the sacrament can be administered, but simply put the necessities are the water and the words "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." thus, the church automatically accepts other churches baptisms because the form is proper and they have the ability to baptise.

on the other hand... marraige is a complex sacrament. it requires very specific vows and wordings at certain portions. not all protestant churches complete the vows properly, or complete the integral phrasology ("by the power invested in me by God...", etc). the church merely wishes to do a couple things: 1) see that the form of your wedding was appropriate and contained all the essential items. as lutherens aren't very far from the catholic church, this shouldnt be difficult. 2) make sure you fully understood the vows, or if you didnt take the proper vows, that you understand the true vows of marraige that have been administered in various language back for more than a thousand years.

i hope this helps... and i'm sure that others can provide you better answers as well.

-- paul h (dontsendmemail@notanaddress.com), June 25, 2004.

Cindy,

Welcome to the Church! Paul is right, it is not really a big deal. My friend (Catholic) and his wife (Methodist) were married in the Methodist church before she decided to become Catholic. The marriage blessing was a simple matter of talking to the priest and having a short ceremony where he blessed the marriage. It did not hold up her becoming Catholic in any way.

May God bless you on your journey.

Pax et Bonum.

Thomas

-- Thomas (psalm23@catholic.org), June 25, 2004.