Marriage to a non-Catholic:
If one of you is a non-Catholic, permission must be obtained from the Archdiocese of New York in order for the marriage to take place. We will apply for this permission for you after completing the necessary form. The Roman Catholic Bride or Groom is required by Church law to make a solemn, signed promise stating that he/she will do all in his/her power to have any children baptized and raised as Roman Catholics. The non-Catholic is made aware of this promise made by the Catholic. This is not meant as something negative toward another religion. However, the Catholic Church is not neutral about passing on the Faith to our children so, obviously this is a serious matter for the couple to discuss.
Non-Catholic Christians and/or non-baptized persons must inform us of this fact so that a proper Dispensation may be obtained from the Archdiocese of New York. This is necessary for the validity of your marriage.
(You are a Roman Catholic if you were baptized in the Roman Catholic Church or received into the Roman Catholic Church as an adult in a formal ceremony. If you are not a Roman Catholic according to this definition, you must inform us immediately.)
If either of you were previously Roman Catholic and left the Church to join another religion, we need to be informed of this fact immediately.
A Letter of Freedom must be submitted on behalf of the person who is not a Roman Catholic. The Letter should come from a person who can testify on your behalf, that you have never been married before civilly or in a Church. This letter must be notarized before being given to the priest or deacon.
Interfaith Ceremonies:
An interfaith marriage ceremony is the same as the ceremony where the couple is both Roman Catholic.
The non-Catholic person may wish to have his/her minister or rabbi participate in the ceremony here at Blessed Sacrament. It requires special preparation beforehand so that the regulations of both faiths can be followed without misunderstanding or confusion.
A non-Catholic minister or rabbi may read a prayer or invoke a blessing but may not be the official church witness or “co-witness” for the actual exchange of vows in a Roman Catholic Church. If you plan to ask a minister or rabbi to participate in your wedding, please inform us right away so that the proper arrangements can be made.
Permission may be given for your wedding to take place in the Church or Synagogue of the non-Catholic party. In this case, either the priest or the minister/rabbi may be the official witness for the exchange of vows. It is, however, never permitted for both the priest and the minister or rabbi to act in this capacity together.
In the case of a Roman Catholic/Jewish wedding only, permission may be obtained for the wedding to take place in a suitable setting in a reception hall. The wedding must take place in a room that is separate from where the reception will be held and it cannot take place outdoors. This is a special situation requiring special preparation well in advance.
According to Church law, it is never permitted to have a second ceremony in another church, synagogue or reception hall either before or after your wedding in the Roman Catholic Church.