Question:
Dear Greg,
I
am a Roman Catholic and my girlfriend is a Pentecostal.
Her father is the preacher at their church, and he and his wife (her mom)
do not agree with our relationship. I
love her and we have been talking about getting married.
But I want to know if a Catholic can get married to a Pentecostal?
If so, can religion be a problem between us?
I told her that I don’t believe the same way she does, but that I
respect her beliefs and I do not mind her going to her church after we get
married. I need some advice.
Angel
Answer: Dear Angel,
The
issue of inter-faith relationships can become a serious problem.
Some denominations a re very strict about what they will allow one of their
members to do in this regard. Some
denominations will allow/perform inter-faith marriages only with the proviso
that the children of the union be raised within their denomination.
Other denominations are more accepting of other denominations.
You
and your girlfriend should carefully think through this issue, for it is
tempting to say that “things will just work themselves out.”
The first problem, of course, is in whose church the wedding will occur,
and whose pastor/priest will perform the ceremony.
That alone has ended relationships.
Then,
while each individual may say that they do not now object to their future spouse
going to the church of their choice after marriage, will that same acceptance
remain after marriage? Will both
spouses take turns attending the other’s church, for example?
And what about the children? Whose
church will they go to? And, as
culture and customs can differ slightly, whose holy days and holidays will be
observed?
The
issues usually become more serious with the introduction of:
1.
The degree of involvement with each denomination the spouses have.
The
2.
Pressure exerted by friends and family.
While two people thinking about
In
Christ,
Greg
Albrecht