Expert: Fr. Michael - 7/1/2005

Question
My husband's family is Catholic, and mine is not.  I believe that his family is concerned that our infant daughter may not be baptized in the Catholic Church.  My husband is not a practicing Catholic, and I do not wish to convert.  However, I cannot believe that a ceremony intended to bring my daughter closer to God can possibly be anything but good for her.  Is it possible to have our daughter baptized, or do her parents have to be active members of the Catholic Church?  

Answer
There has to be a reasonable belief that the child would be raised in the true Faith.  The situation you describe does not provide that condition.  Moreover, the fact that you, the non-Catholic, are more concerned about your daughter's spiritual welfare than your husband, who is supposedly Catholic, reveals even more about this unfortunate situation.

Nor do you mention whether this is a sacramental marriage within the Faith, or whether your husband, not respecting God, just dumped his faith.  This is a good example of why mixed marriages are so problematic in the first place.  In such a situation, the child will have to make the decision when she comes of age and overcome her unfortunately family situation.

Perhaps if you could find a solid, traditional Catholic, who would be willing to act as the child's godparent, with full support of both parents to educate the child in the Faith and direct her practice, something might be possible.

For a list of traditional sites that may be able to help you locally, see www.traditio.com/tradlib/masslat.