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XP: An Older Bride

MizLizzMizLizz member
First Anniversary First Comment
in Catholic Weddings
I am working with an older, interfaith couple -- she is Jewish, he is Catholic. She is also approaching if not entering menopause. Neither is interested in starting a family at this point in their lives.

Will the Catholic Church require her to promise to raise any children Catholic if the question of children is moot?  One reason the couple has postponed getting married was to avoid the question of children. The bride-to-be  said that, while she understands where the Catholic Church is coming from, she still feels insulted by such a request.

I know that many of the participants on this board are familiar with the finer points of the Church's regulations when it comes to interfaith (aka mixed) marriages and I admit that I am no expert. The question that is being asked is whether the Church will require the non-Catholic bride to promise to raise any children as Catholic if there is no possibility of children.

Thanking everyone in advance


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Re: XP: An Older Bride

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    monkeysipmonkeysip member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    Hmmm... not exactly sure about older couples, but I will point out 2 things.

    First of all, children are not impossible for her at this point, even if she is entering menopause.  Women have still gotten pregnant then, it's just extremely rare, obviously.  But still a tiny possibility, so I would think they would still need to be *open* to the possibility of children.

    Second, only the Catholic makes the promise.  He would be promising to raise any possible children Catholic to the best of his ability, and her responsibility is just not to really interfere with that.  But she doesn't have to actively teach them anything Catholic.  

    I understand some spouses of other faiths feel uncomfortable with that, but it's part of marrying in the Catholic Church.  

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    meltoinemeltoine member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment
    Regardless of age of fertility, they will both have to promise to be open to children, and he will have to promise to raise them Catholic. She does not promise to raise them Catholic.
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    agapecarrieagapecarrie member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    If a couple is truly past child bearing years, the question at the statement of intentions is omitted.

    However, if there's any chance, the question is included. "Do you promise to accept children lovingly and raise them according to Christ and his church"


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    Amy&BertAmy&Bert member
    First Comment
    I'll be 48 when I get married in two months. The priest gave us the option of dropping the line. He said it is not required by doctrine.

    "We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Robert Fulghum<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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