Section I. Mixed Marriages

Mixed marriages are forbidden by the natural, divine, and ecclesiastical law. For the parties are ministers to each other of the sacrament of Marriage; but it is unlawful for a Catholic without grave necessity to communicate in religious rites with a non-Catholic, and to receive a sacrament from him. Besides, it usually happens that in marrying a non-Catholic the Catholic party exposes himself to the danger of either losing his faith altogether, or at least of suffering its purity and brightness to be tarnished. The Church has forbidden mixed marriages from the earliest ages, and the Popes and bishops have issued innumerable instructions and warnings against them. It is without doubt a grave sin to contract a mixed marriage without a dispensation, and the Church shows her detestation of it by prohibiting any religious function at the marriage, even when a dispensation for it has been obtained (Can. 1060, 1102).

However, in countries where Catholics and non-Catholics live together, and especially if the latter greatly outnumber the former, as they do in Great Britain and in the United States, it is almost impossible to avoid mixed marriages sometimes, and the Holy See grants the necessary dispensation, Certain conditions must be fulfilled before the dispensation for a mixed marriage is granted. In the first place, there must be a grave canonical cause, or a good reason such as the Church recognizes to be sufficient for a dispensation in this matter. In order to remove as far as possible the danger connected with mixed marriages, the Church requires that the non-Catholic party shall promise to leave the Catholic the free exercise of his religion, and that both parties promise to bring up all the children in the Catholic faith. Moreover, the Catholic party must undertake to do his best to bring about the conversion of his spouse to the Catholic religion. The necessity of these promises is founded in the natural and divine law, and the common law of the Church requires that there should be moral certainty that they will be fulfilled and that as a rule they should be in writing (Can. 1061).

If one of the parties be a baptized Catholic, but one who has given up the practice of his religion without going over to any heretical sect, there is no strict impediment to his marrying a Catholic, but of course efforts should be made for his conversion, and if he remain indifferent the Bishop should be consulted (Can. 1066).

In England, when a dispensation has been obtained for a mixed marriage, some Bishops allow the priest to assist at it at the altar rails vested in surplice and stole.

The banns should not be published unless the local Ordinary judge that they may be permitted, taking the necessary precautions to avoid scandal, and omitting all mention of the difference of religion (Can. 1026).

A sermon before or after the function is not prohibited. Mass, however, should never be said nor the nuptial blessing given at a mixed marriage.

The Church does not allow the Catholic party to go through any marriage rite before a non-Catholic minister acting as such. If the non-Catholic minister acts as a civil magistrate, and Catholics are obliged to go through the marriage ceremony in his presence in order to have their marriages recognized by the State, it is permitted (Can. 1063).