Marriage

We spoke with Father John on Thursday and I continued to question what the Catholic Church required of me as a non-follower. It is important to M that our church wedding be sacramental, (otherwise what is the point of being remarried in the church?) but I also have misgivings and my own beliefs that also need to be considered.

Originally he felt that I would have to get my parents to attest, in writing, to two things: 1. that my baptism did, in fact, occur and that two important parts were followed (use of water and the trinity in the blessing) and 2. that I had never been married. I explained to the priest that I found this to be sort of a dubious in nature, as we all could simply lie in order to get the marriage to go forward. He understood that aspect of things, but said the church requires some sort of good-faith since we cannot find my baptism records and I am not Catholic.

I pressed a bit more and he agreed to call the Chancery office to double-check what was required of a non-Catholic. He phoned us back on Friday to let us know that those requirements were not needed any more. The church would accept my word on things that I was baptized and that I had never been married prior to M.

He answered a few more questions and we put down a temporary date for the wedding-- which we will share with everyone once we can confirm a reception location for that same date. I will say this much for those interested-- we are looking at early September or later if we have to move the date.