I am wanting to marry in a church but is it possible to do so if my partner has not been christened but i have? Also do you have to proove that you have been christened? and if so how do you go about doing so. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much
2007-02-27 21:06:41 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
In England, anyone has the right to be married in the (C of E) parish church in whose parish they live - you could have been brought up a Satanist and converted to Buddhism, it doesn't matter - though I wouldn't tell the vicar.
It's part of it being the "established" church, and the price they pay for being the only church that can marry people without a registrar present.
2007-02-27 21:12:10 · answer #1 · answered by gvih2g2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can but a lot can depend on the particular member of the clergy marrying you. Not always to do with the non christened member but the views of the person that calls themself the Christian. Some churches want you to become a member or at the least attend their church. You can see where they are coming from as probably don't see the point of a church wedding for the sake of a nice church/gardens. Sometimes it is better to truthfully say if you believe in God but don't think you need to attend church regulary. Often the clergy person will marry you in the church and give you a blessing. In the RC church in the country I live it really varies in some areas if one party is Catholic and the other not christened you can still have a full mass, in other areas you can't have mass but can have a service with readings etc. However this would be on the assumption that the Catholic attended weekly mass etc and the non Catholic agreed to any children of the marriage being brought up Catholic. What you probably gather from this is that it can differ from area to area, country to country so best to talk to who ever is in charge of the church you are thinking of. Good luck. PS In the RC church you defnitely require to produce your baptismal certificate and in Scotland the Catholic member has to get what is called a Letter of Freedom from the church they attend stating they are free to marry. Normally you are expected to attend 4 classes but these are for all concerned, even if it is a couple that are 2 Catholics.
2007-02-28 13:57:43 · answer #2 · answered by Ms Mat Urity 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about the Protestants, but the Catholics definitely care. They WILL ask for you baptism certificate in order to prove you were baptised. If your partner has not been there are many additional steps to complete because you are considered to be marrying outside the faith. A Catholic marrying another Christian isn't a big deal because you have both been baptised and believe in Christ. You basically have the same beliefs with different practices. They don't like you to marry outside the faith and will require extra counseling at least. Talk to the staff at the church you want to use ASAP since all the counseling can take a bit of time. If you don't have your baptism certificate you can contact the church where it was performed. They should have a record of it.
2007-02-28 07:44:07 · answer #3 · answered by rosekm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can, but it really depends on the priest and such. If you were christened you will probably have a baptismal certificate, but generally they won't ask for proof.
I know some friends where the woman was Catholic and the husband was a non-practice Anglican, and he just kept his mouth shut about his agnostic beliefs. The priest made them take 3 months of Sunday courses and attend church, but in the end they were able to get married.
2007-02-28 08:46:49 · answer #4 · answered by bpbjess 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean that your partner is not a Christian? If that's the case then it might be a problem. Many Christian churches only allow the ceremony in the Church if both of you are Christian. And some other churches require that you be of the same Christian denomination if you want to get married in their church.
2007-02-28 05:41:29 · answer #5 · answered by BarbKor 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i got married in a scottish church 20 yrs ago and i was not christened but my hubby was. the minister said that he would marry us but he would not christen our kids unless i joined the church. as i am not a hypocrite, i let him marry us without joining. maybe things are different now or even where you live. good luck for your future.
2007-02-28 15:40:29 · answer #6 · answered by mrsc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You do not have to be christened to be married in church, and no-one will ask for any proof. The vicar does like you to attend church before the wedding though. I think that's only courteous. They must hate being 'used' only for baptisms, weddings and funerals!
2007-02-28 05:11:09 · answer #7 · answered by jet-set 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, you can marry. No, you do not need proof of baptism/christening - that is not a requirement for a church marriage
2007-02-28 05:17:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm getting married in a catholic church and my partner is not a christian. however this is at the priests discretion. Also I am required to attend church. The bit about the registrar...? we don't have to pay for one, thats the priests job
2007-02-28 06:47:12 · answer #9 · answered by charl203 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should be ok....most churches will allow it as long as one person has been christened....hope it goes well!!
2007-02-28 11:37:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋