A word from Fr. Joe.....Given the summer Mass attendance, I will repeat part of my column from last week. I continue to meet parishioners who do not understand the marriage law of the Church, which we are obligated to follow. Basically, a Catholic is to be married in the presence of a priest or deacon, and two witnesses. The expectation is that this happens in the church. A dispensation can be granted by the bishop for a Catholic to be married in another church without the presence of a priest or deacon. This dispensation is requested through the pastor. An example of this is a Catholic man marrying a Lutheran woman. They would like to have the wedding in her church by her pastor; a dispensation allows that. A dispensation for an outdoor wedding will not be granted. So you can see there is some latitude for celebrating weddings, though all must be within the law of the Church. When a Catholic marries otherwise, they place themselves outside the Church by not following the marriage law of the Church. They are no longer in communion with the Church. Being married according to the law of the Church keeps one in good standing and allows one to go to communion at Mass. In raising a family, Catholic parents need to be in communion with the Church in order to receive communion when their child does. Now when one has been married outside the law of the Church, it is best to speak to me so I can understand your situation and together decide the best course of action to eventually have your marriage recognized by the Church. If you are contemplating marriage, please be in touch so I can offer you the guidance of the Church. Jesus raised the union of marriage to the dignity of a sacrament, and therein lie abundant graces.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 22:51:16 +0000