Is there any document of the Church that says a Catholic cannot attend a wedding that takes place between a person who was baptized a Catholic but never participated in any other sacrament, and a non-Catholic? The bride and groom were both raised non-denominational and are being married in a non-denominational church.
A friend pointed out that in the 1967 Directory on Ecumenical Matters (Ad totam ecclesiam, no. 59), it says that a Catholic can attend a liturgical service of the separated brethren, such as a wedding, because of blood relationship.
Grace answers:
The first thing we must establish is that, in the situation you ask about, the party who was baptized in the Catholic Church, and later left it by the formal renouncing of the faith in the public act of joining another church, is now considered to be non-Catholic for the purposes of marriage. Since this is the case, yes, it is possible for a Catholic to attend such a wedding. As the 1967 Directory on Ecumenical Matters states, “Catholics may be allowed to attend occasionally the liturgical services of other separated brethren if they have reasonable ground, e.g., arising out of public office or function, blood relationship or friendship, etc.,…so long as they are not at variance with Catholic faith” (no. 59). Keep in mind that what makes it permissible to attend this particular wedding you speak of is that the person is no longer Catholic. If the person were Catholic, then the situation changes.
Let us say, for the sake of discussion, that this person who was baptized in the Catholic faith had never left it by a formal act. Then he or she would still be considered to be Catholic. If this person were marrying a non-Catholic and the marriage were being celebrated in the Catholic Church, it would be considered a mixed marriage — one between a baptized Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic Christian. While this type of marriage is not encouraged in the Church, it may take place, but only with the express permission of the competent authority. Otherwise, it is prohibited. The diocesan bishop can grant this permission if there is a just and reasonable cause (canons 1124 – 1125).
But what if a Catholic were getting married outside the Church? This is yet another very serious question that many Catholics wonder about today. Can a Catholic attend the wedding of another Catholic who is marrying outside the Church? Although there is no legislation to prevent a Catholic from attending such a wedding, in the document Orientalium Ecclesiarum (no. 26) of the Second Vatican Council, we learn that divine law forbids any common worship (communicatio in sacris) which would damage the unity of the Church, or involve formal acceptance of falsehood or the danger of deviation from the faith, of scandal, or of indifferentism (a tendency to think it makes no difference what we do). Therefore, whether or not it is wrong for you or any Catholic to attend the wedding of a Catholic marrying outside the Church depends on the possibility of your presence or participation causing such things to occur.
Many Catholics and other Christians, for example, do not understand the seriousness of the sin of scandal. But Jesus Himself warned, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” (Matthew 18: 6-7). “Scandal is a grave offense if, by deed or omission, another is deliberately led into a grave offense” (CCC 2284).
Often, we tend to think and behave as though we are living off on some island, isolated from the rest of the world. How easily we forget that in every part of our lives we are involved in relationships with others. And, in these relationships and circles of people, we are constantly being observed. Do we exemplify good Christian living in our actions? As Catholics, when we willingly witness and participate in the wedding of a Catholic outside the Church, what are we saying to others in that? Are we saying that it does not matter? It should matter. We believe Holy Matrimony to be a sacrament, and therefore “it is for the supreme authority of the Church alone to approve or define those things which are required for its validity” (canon no. 841).
The laws of the Church are the laws of God. Is it okay to sit back and witness someone offend God openly, simply because we do not wish to hurt their feelings? No, it is not. There are ways to still express our love for the persons involved in sin without giving witness to something that is wrong in the eyes of God. On the day when we meet the Lord face to face, will we be able to say we did all we could to help our brothers and sisters to attain heaven? It is something to think about.
© Copyright 2004 Grace D. MacKinnon
For permission to reprint this article, or to have Grace speak at your event, contact Grace MacKinnon at grace@deargrace.com.
Grace MacKinnon holds an MA in theology and is a syndicated columnist and public speaker on Catholic doctrine. Her new book Dear Grace: Answers to Questions About the Faith is available in our online store. If you enjoy reading Grace’s column, you will certainly want to have this book, which is a collection of the first two years of “Dear Grace.” Faith questions may be sent to Grace via e-mail at: grace@deargrace.com. You may also visit her online at www.DearGrace.com.
