Category Archives: Canonical Issues Involving Non-Catholics

Can We Have Both a Priest and a Non-Catholic Minister at our Wedding?

Q1: I’m Catholic and my fiancé is from a devout Lutheran family.  They weren’t too pleased when I told them our wedding has to take place in a Catholic church….  Is it permissible for us under canon law to have … Continue reading

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Am I Permanently Barred from Ordination to the Priesthood?

Q: I have been discerning my vocation, trying to determine whether or not I am called to be a priest.  I happened to find a commentary on canon law in my school library… it says that a person is barred … Continue reading

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Why is a Catholic Permitted to Marry in an Orthodox Ceremony?

Q: My sister stopped practicing her faith, and married a Greek Orthodox man in his church in Greece.  Now their marriage has ended, and she has returned to the Church.  She might want to remarry…. We both assumed that she … Continue reading

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What is the Pauline Privilege?

Q: I have heard of something called the “Pauline Privilege.”  I gather that, based on Saint Paul’s words in I Corinthians, it means that if I left my wife before I was baptized, she could have been allowed to re-marry?  … Continue reading

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Can a Baby be Baptized Against the Parents’ Wishes?

This column was already written, and set for publication, before Pope Benedict’s resignation announcement on Monday.  The next column–to be published a week from today, hopefully–will address issues pertaining to the upcoming conclave. Q:   Some Jewish people in my city complained to … Continue reading

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