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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Church not exactly user friendly?	Beth	Sunday, January 2, 2005
Question: Several of my siblings wanted to be married in the Church to their fiancees but were ultimately not. One was told she had to have lived in the Diocese for 6 months before she could even sign up for Cana classes. One went to private Cana sessions with a priest who so very frequently cancelled their appointments that she and her Catholic fiancee finally gave up and eloped. When I had my child baptised, the priest showed up 2 hours late for the ceremony. They had to go drag him off the golf course. I was so embarrassed in front of my in-laws. My father is especially devout and always acquainted with the local bishop and active in Catholic charities. I was raised Catholic. I go to church. I cannot understand the shoddy treatment I have gotten at various churches in the three or four different cities I have lived in as an adult. This is fairly typical of my experience with the Church. Anyway, it seems like you have to jump through so many hoops that it discouraging and the priests and staff seem like they don't want your business, so to speak. I always feel like persona non grata. Do other people experience this too, or is it just our family somehow? Have you heard others problems along this line very much?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Beth: I am sorry to hear about these problems. The priest being late for the baptism and continually cancelling pre-cana meetings is inexcusable. The six months in the diocese before taking pre-cana, however, is appropriate. Although the priest it appears did not behave properly, I am sorry to hear that your siblings decided to sin as a result. The priest not doing his job properly is not an excuse for your siblings to sin. If they married outside of the Church, then their marriages are invalid and they are living in the sin of fornication and concubinage as they are not married in the eyes of God. As a result they are forbidden to receive the Eucharist. They need to confess their sin and have their marriages regularized in the Church. Until that time they cannot receive the Eucharist. If they do, they will be committing one of the worse sins of all -- sacrilege against the Eucharist. We will pray that your siblings will return to the Church, regularize their marriages, and enjoy full communion with the Church once again. We will be in pray for them on this matter; and in prayer for the priests who could have handle all this better. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Church not exactly user friendly?

Beth

Sunday, January 2, 2005

Question:

Several of my siblings wanted to be married in the Church to their fiancees but were ultimately not. One was told she had to have lived in the Diocese for 6 months before she could even sign up for Cana classes. One went to private Cana sessions with a priest who so very frequently cancelled their appointments that she and her Catholic fiancee finally gave up and eloped.

When I had my child baptised, the priest showed up 2 hours late for the ceremony. They had to go drag him off the golf course. I was so embarrassed in front of my in-laws.

My father is especially devout and always acquainted with the local bishop and active in Catholic charities. I was raised Catholic. I go to church. I cannot understand the shoddy treatment I have gotten at various churches in the three or four different cities I have lived in as an adult.

This is fairly typical of my experience with the Church. Anyway, it seems like you have to jump through so many hoops that it discouraging and the priests and staff seem like they don't want your business, so to speak. I always feel like persona non grata.

Do other people experience this too, or is it just our family somehow? Have you heard others problems along this line very much?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Beth:

I am sorry to hear about these problems. The priest being late for the baptism and continually cancelling pre-cana meetings is inexcusable.

The six months in the diocese before taking pre-cana, however, is appropriate.

Although the priest it appears did not behave properly, I am sorry to hear that your siblings decided to sin as a result. The priest not doing his job properly is not an excuse for your siblings to sin. If they married outside of the Church, then their marriages are invalid and they are living in the sin of fornication and concubinage as they are not married in the eyes of God. As a result they are forbidden to receive the Eucharist.

They need to confess their sin and have their marriages regularized in the Church. Until that time they cannot receive the Eucharist. If they do, they will be committing one of the worse sins of all -- sacrilege against the Eucharist.

We will pray that your siblings will return to the Church, regularize their marriages, and enjoy full communion with the Church once again.

We will be in pray for them on this matter; and in prayer for the priests who could have handle all this better.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum