Q. 1. What is the obligation of a Catholic who marries a non-Catholic on the matter of raising his/her child(ren) in the faith?

A. 1. The obligation of a Catholic who marries a non- Catholic is to agree to two statements. They are:

1. "I reaffirm my faith in Jesus Christ and intend to continue living that faith in the Catholic Church."

2. "I promise to do all in my power to share my faith with our children by having them baptized and raised as Catholics."

While the non-Catholic spouse is not obligated to promise anything, the priest arranging the marriage must certify that the non-Catholic is aware of the commitment that the Catholic spouse has made.

In the event when a non-Catholic partner disagrees regarding the religion of the child(ren) to be born in the marriage, the Diocese can still grant permission for the marriage to proceed, providing that the Catholic party agrees to do whatever can be done to raise the children in the Catholic faith.