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Question
Fr. Timothy,
Here is the scenario and question I have been praying about. My first husband and I were both Catholic and married in the Catholic church. We did not produce any children. We divorced. The marriage has not been annulled as far as I know. He remarried a Catholic. I remarried an Episcopalian in a civil service that was subsequently blessed by the Episcopal church. We have one daughter who has been baptized in the Episcopal church. I however am a practicing Catholic and take an active part in my church as far as I am allowed. We attend mass and my daughter attends Religious Ed classes all in all being raised Catholic. Next year she will be in prep for the sacrament of reconciliation and first communion. Is my status an impediment to her receiving these sacraments? I thank you in advance for your response.
Hi, Ann:
Thanks for the question.
I think your daughter needs to be received into full-communion with the Catholic Church through a formal act before she presumes to go through the completion of her Sacraments as a Roman Catholic; so, I suppose you could say I have a more immediate concern about her status than yours as far as it pertains to her. Since she was baptized in an Episcopalian Rite, she is by that fact not in full-communion with the Catholic Church. The status of the parents does not directly affect the child. Hmmm... I think of my own case. I made a free choice to be a Roman Catholic, and went through the steps necessary to be one.
As for your own status: I would certainly urge you to undertake the steps necessary to regularize your own situation, and take care of getting (if possible) a decree of nullity for your first marriage. In addition, you might want to take a closer look at the matter of having given your child over to a non-Catholic minister in violation of Canon 1366 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. I am assuming you did not know any better; but I suspect you could have had her baptized by a Catholic Priest if you had explained your situation, and promised that you fully intended to raise her in the practice of the Catholic Faith.
If you are able to get the anullment, then you would need to get a convalidation or a sanation for your current marriage. This would allow you to be a practicing Catholic in the fullest sense, without any impediments to your own reception of the Sacraments. I sincerely and truly wish you the very best!
Fr. Timothy Johnson
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Answers by Expert:
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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