More information & resources for Couples who share different Faith traditions.
Read Overview if at least one of you is a member of the Catholic Church then click one or more of the following...…
- InterChurch (both of you are Christians but different denominations)
- InterFaith (one is Christian one is not).
- For Both InterChurch and InterFaith couples.
- What about marriage to an agnostic or atheist?
Overview: If one of you is a Catholic and the other is a Protestant or Muslim or Jew, you may be concerned about how the Catholic Church will look upon your relationship if you choose to marry. Prior to 1964, the Catholic Church tried to discourage such couples from marriage or allowed the marriage to take place only if the partner who is not a member of the Catholic Church agreed to raise the children in the Catholic Faith. Today, however, the Catholic Church has developed a new approach to couples who share different Faith traditions. I trust you will find this approach to be welcoming, understanding, and helpful. Key points of this new approach:
- The Catholic Church respects/affirms the conscience & beliefs of each person. While the Catholic Church is open to membership to all persons, the Church does not attempt to force anyone to become Catholic when he/she plans to marry a Catholic.
- The Catholic Church affirms the right & responsibility of a Catholic parent to pass on his/her Faith to his/her children within the unity of the marriage partnership; the Church equally honors the right & responsibility of the partner who is not a member of the Catholic Church to do the same. The partner who is not a member of the Catholic Church is not required to promise to raise the children in the Catholic Faith.
- The marriage can be celebrated in either the church of the bride or the church of the groom. This decision is customarily settled by choosing the “church of the bride.” There may be good reasons ~ for example, if a Catholic marries a Jew ~ to celebrate the marriage in a “neutral” setting. The Catholic may request permission for these arrangements from his/her bishop.
- The ceremony will depend upon where the marriage takes place. If it takes place in a Catholic Church, the Catholic rite of marriage would be used. If it takes place in a Baptist church, the Baptist minister would use the Baptist rite of marriage.
- If the marriage takes place in a Catholic Church, ordinarily the marriage rite would not include the Eucharistic (Communion Service) because this could be a divisive element.
Interchurch” couples. Both persons are Christian, but different denominations, such as, Catholic-Baptist.
- Two Churches, One Marriage A free web-based program that can assist couple to explore the challenges and rewards of interchurch marriage.
- InterChurch Families: Bringing our churches to unity through love. Note esp. “sacramental resources.”s
pace - Mixed Religion Marriage: InterChurch/InterFaith Marriage. The Chapter on this topic from For Better and For Ever. This is especially valuable information if at least one of you is Catholic.
- NIMMA: InterChurch site in Northern Ireland.
"Interfaith" couples. One person is Christian, the other person is Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist, etc.
- Mixed Religion Marriage: InterChurch/InterFaith Marriage. The Chapter on this topic from For Better and For Ever. This is especially valuable information if at least one of you is Catholic.
- Interfaith Copmmunity. The Interfaith Community believes that today's families can successfully include two religions in their households. The IFC is a unique institution responding to the needs of such families.
- Planning a Jewish-Christian marriage Our wedding by Jenny Kellogg
Links which may be useful to Interchurch & Interfaith couples.
- Information about Christianity: by Mary Henderson, who has worked full time in Christian ministry since 1988 serving in several capacities, including Missionary, Assistant to the Pastoral Staff, Administrative Assistant and Office Manager for Calvary Chapel.
What about marriage to an agnostic or atheist?
I am assuming that we are talking about an “interfaith” (sort of!) marriage in which one person identifies with a faith tradition (is Christian, Jew, Muslim, etc.) and the other person is an agnostic or atheist. If both of you are agnostics or atheists, all I can say is that I am not qualified to advise you.
Here are some links to information about what it means to be an agnostic or an atheist. I recommend that both of you thoroughly study this information (and any other information you can find that may be better than what is on these web sites)….and then use the process of dialogue ~ as taught in For Better & For Ever ™ ~ to see if you can construct a viable lifelong marriage in which each of you is willing/able to accept who the other person is and be willing to live your personal convictions while making no attempt to change the other person to your way of thinking/believing.
In addition to making a commitment to respect your differences, you also need to dialogue about how you will deal with the formation/education of your children.
If you can sort all of this out……you may do fine in marriage.
What is an Agnostic?
What is an Atheist?
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