Does non-Catholic financée (or me) have to disclose an abortion to the church?

[Anonymous]

Here you go OP: http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/21/europe/pope-francis-absolve-abortion/index.html

The Pope extended the Year of Mercy abortion absolution indefinitely. If you are asking it seems to be on your mind. You WILL be able to get married in the church. Talking to the priest will help you feel better.

[Anonymous]

Why would you make her do that? She's not Catholic; being absolved of Catholic "sins" is not relevant at all to her. And I don't think that the non-Catholic spouse has to confess or be free of "mortal sin" in order to be married in the Church. I don't think even the Catholic partner has to confess in order to be married.

[Anonymous]

If you participated (helping with financing/logistics, were the father, were the woman yourself)
then I'd think you would definitely want to go to confession ASAP. It doesn't have to be the priest who is going to marry you (I'd personally be a lot more comfortable going to a priest I'd never see again, but that's on me - priests are duty-bound to be confidential, and they've heard it all)

The non-Catholic fiance doesn't really have to confess anything, and the church recognizes that non-catholics have their own moral code.

Other than that, there's no need to discuss it with your priest in the context of the wedding.

[Anonymous]

Is she converting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wasn't sure if this is just something we best keep to ourselves or...? I'm Catholic, she was raised Protestant. Thank you.

It's not really a matter of "disclosure." As hard as it is to discuss this, I would recommend that you discuss it with your priest. "Keeping things to yourselves" isn't really a good way to enter into a marriage or continue your faith life. Through personal experience and through friends, I can tell you that the church can provide great strength in dealing with dealing with divorce, alcoholism, abuse, abortion, and other life challenges.

[Anonymous]

No. It's none of their business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you disclosed this I bet they wouldn't marry you, especially in our more conservative diocese here. The church here wouldn't marry my best friend who lived together.

That's what I assumed.

That's. It true.

I converted before marriage and asked the priest if I needed to go to confession. He said absolutely not. My upcoming baptism would wash away all prior sins. I took him at his word and got baptized and married in the church with no issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Catholic Church wedding? I'd think this would be an issue. Not disclosing what you know to be a sin is unethical and immoral.

both parties have to be of sin to be married in the Catholic church? even if one is not Catholic?

[Anonymous]

^ grrr meant to type "That's NOT true..."

[Anonymous]

This made me laugh:

Don't overthink it, priests hear a lot worse.



Seriously? I'm lapsed Catholic and pro-choice but I find it highly doubtful that priests hear way worse. It's not like Ted Bundy is heading to confession for absolution. This is probably one of the worst things they hear from practicing Catholics.

[Anonymous]

You don't but you should (or she should, who ever committed the act). God doesn't care about technicalities but He does care about truth. So, just know that you will be "disclosing" this when your time comes but you will be disclosing the concealment of the truth too. Do you really want your marriage vows to be marred (if you marry at the church) by a lie?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you disclosed this I bet they wouldn't marry you, especially in our more conservative diocese here. The church here wouldn't marry my best friend who lived together.

That's what I assumed.

That's. It true.

I converted before marriage and asked the priest if I needed to go to confession. He said absolutely not. My upcoming baptism would wash away all prior sins. I took him at his word and got baptized and married in the church with no issues.

I went through RCIA as an adult. I went to confession before my baptism...

[Anonymous]

Priests hear way worse, but if you are uncomfortable confessing to one particular priest, got confess to another. Once you are forgiven, there is no need to re-confess it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Priests hear way worse, but if you are uncomfortable confessing to one particular priest, got confess to another. Once you are forgiven, there is no need to re-confess it.

You could ask around about priests whose English is not so good. They will absolve you without really understanding what you said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This made me laugh:

Don't overthink it, priests hear a lot worse.



Seriously? I'm lapsed Catholic and pro-choice but I find it highly doubtful that priests hear way worse. It's not like Ted Bundy is heading to confession for absolution. This is probably one of the worst things they hear from practicing Catholics.

wow, that's naive! I have a relative who was a priest and had a murderer confess to him. There are bad people in the world.