Letters

Mixed marriages (letter)

John Schmidt

Contents - May 2000 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference - Michael Gilchrist Australian Catholic University student survey - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World How do we know whether a sacrament is valid or not? - Fr Peter Joseph The priesthood: John Paul II's Holy Thursday Letter sets guidelines - Pope John Paul II What are the foundations of a good Catholic education? - Dr. John J. Haldane Understanding the Incarnation - Msgr Peter J. Elliott Books: Francis Thompson: author of 'The Hound of Heaven' - Michael Daniel How the future John Paul II saved a Jewish girl's life - Zenit News Service Letters: Women's report: a reply (letter) - Dr Marie McDonald Letters: Nothing to do? (letter) - Frank Mobbs Letters: More on Adelaide (letter) - Margret E. Mills Letters: Women in the Church (letter) - Marie Kennedy Letters: 'Day of Pardon' (letter) - Paul MacLeod Letters: Reply to Fr Frank Brennan (letter) - Richard Egan Letters: God's love (letter) - Justin Ford Letters: EWTN visit (letter) - Mike Keating Letters: Mixed marriages (letter) - John Schmidt Letters: Archbishop Pell defended (letter) - Fr Kevin Ryan Letters: Year of the Lord (letter) - Fr Chrysostom Alexander Books: 'Three Inns of Everlasting Happiness' by Fr Fabian Duggan - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: 'The Wisdom of Adrian Fortescue' ed. Michael Davies - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: 'The Legacy of Pope John Paul II' ed. Geoffrey Gneuhs - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: 'The Ever-Illuminating Wisdom of St Thomas Aquinas' by Peter Kreeft et al - Tracey Rowland (reviewer) Reflection: Mary's divine motherhood: central to God's plan of salvation - Sr Mary Augustine Lane OP

The Catholic Weekly (22.8.99) and Catholic Leader (29.8.99 and 12.12.99) reported last year on a joint Catholic and Uniting Church statement titled Interchurch Marriages - their Ecumenical Challenge and Significance for our Churches.

The descriptive headlines accompanying these reports are difficult to reconcile with the Church's official position as set out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos 1633-1637). The latter is far from encouraging: "... the difficulties of mixed marriages must not be underestimated" (no 1634).

On the other hand, the various diocesan newspaper reports are headed "Church support for mixed marriages," "Interchurch marriages win support" and "Interchurch marriages: a change of heart."

The thrust of the reports appears to be that the Church's position has softened and that interchurch (mixed) marriages are now to be regarded as a gift of the Holy Spirit as they foster ecumenism. The Catechism, on the other hand, basically restates the Church's traditional reserve on mixed marriages.

Pope Paul VI in his apostolic letter Matrimonia Mixta (1.10.70) stated: "... the Church, conscious of her duty, discourages the contracting of mixed marriages."

It appears the Australian bishops (or some of them at least) have beaten the gun on this subject.

JOHN SCHMIDT
Boronia, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 13 No 4 (May 2000), p. 16