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My question is this: My wife and I were married via Justice of the Peace in 1994. This was before either of us found our faith's. About 5 years after our marriage both of us together joined the Mormon Church. After about 5 or 6 years I left the Mormon faith and found the Catholic Church because I had issues with the truthfulness of the Mormon faith. We are still married at this time, and I hope to be until death. Is it a sin for me to be married to her when she is a practicing Mormon? I take the kids to Catholic Church every Sunday, and I have told her that they cannot go to the Mormon Church. All my children have been baptized and two of them have taken Holy Communion. So, is it a sin to remain with her? My opinion is that since I converted while married that it is not a sin, and that I should do my best to be an good example for her and work on her conversion. Let me know what the rules are..Thanks:)
Hi, Monte:
Thanks for the questions, and welcome to the Catholic Church.
Though you do not share the same faith, it seems promising at the natural level of marriage as a contract that you hope to stay with your wife as an intact family. I commend you for taking your role as husband and father (head of the family) and establishing clear boundaries and expectations about the upbringing and education of the children.
It certainly is NOT a sin for you to be married to a practicing Mormon. I could only hope that perhaps in due time she might come to study the historic roots of the Catholic Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ. I have studied Mormonism to considerable depth myself, and just find serious issues of truthfulness at a lot of levels, as well. It is just so totally non-historical and is one of those phenomena that could only be produced in American western frontieer folklore.
Keep studying your Catholic Faith in greater depth, and you will find and bear out what I have told you. It seems that you are living at peace, and for this reason I most certainly would NOT recommend in any way that you separate, or any such thing.
I take it that all your children have been baptized CATHOLIC, right? Surely you must be getting good advice and guidance from the Catholic Parish Priest I hope.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. And again, welcome to the Catholic Faith, Church, and Culture. Keep up the prayer life and the good fight, relying always on the help of the Lord Who made Heaven & Earth (the WHOLE UNIVERSE: not just the God of this world, exalted man "with whom we have to do...") - ugghh.
+ God bless you.
Fr. Timothy Johnson
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Fr. Timothy Johnson
Expertise
A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.
Experience
I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001.
Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)
Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology;
MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary;
2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality.
BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy;
BA - Liberal Arts;
AA - General Studies.
Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15.
Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office.
I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church.
Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.
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