We all know it happens sooo often...
The parents are practicing Catholics, but the kid doesn't really find it applicable, so she stops going to Mass. Then, when she wants to get married, she says she "has to" get married in a Catholic church, either due to financial reasons (her parents won't pay for the wedding,) or more personal (her parents won't even come if it's not in a church.)
Is this a good thing?
It seems to me to not be good...
They might even feel forced to have a Mass, and the couple and their friends are then going to be receiving communion (most likely not being properly disposed/prepared...)
They probably don't understand the seriousness of a Catholic wedding, and if they do get divorced, remarried then later have a re-conversion to the Catholic faith, they are going to run into BIG trouble.
If they didn't have a Catholic wedding, then when/if they ever decide that they really want to be Catholic, it would be a lot easier to just get a convalidation!
But I do understand the parents view that if their kids don't get married in the Catholic Church, that their marriage *won't* be valid. (Well, chances are, if they're anything like 95% of non-church-going Americans, they were already living together prior to the wedding, so....)
But are there spiritual benefits? The couple would obviously receive the Sacrament of Marriage (if they're both baptized,) and doesn't this actually give spiritual benefits?
But what about things like promising to raise their kids Catholic, which they probably have no intention of doing? (Or even being open to life!)
Thoughts?