Differences: Catholicism vs Anglicanism
Catholicism and Anglicanism have corresponding values when it comes to marriage, but there are some distinct differences, mainly based on interfaith marriages and divorce.
Interfaith Marriages
The Catholic Church will only allow a Catholic to marry someone of a different religion or no faith once they have received dispensation from a bishop or the minister witnessing the wedding. According to http://catholicweddinghelp.com, dispensation will only be given if the following requirements can be proven:
- The Catholic party must promise to do all in his or her power to have all children baptised and raised in the Catholic Church
- The Catholic party must declare that she or he is prepared to remove all dangers that might cause him or her to fall away from their faith, e.g. ensuring they are still attending Mass and receiving sacraments
- The non-Catholic person must be informed about the Catholic party's promises and obligation to fulfill them
- The couple must be informed that the purpose of marriage is for the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children
In comparison, the Anglican Church does not see different faiths as a barrier to a church wedding as long as the couple agrees. The ceremony must be of Christian nature with Christian vows but elements from other traditions can be included in the service with the permission of the vicar. For example, different languages or cultures can be incorporated into the music and readings.
Divorce
The Catholic Church does not permit divorce for a valid sacramental marriage, and therefore a divorced person won’t be able to be remarried in a Catholic Church. The reason for this is that Catholics believe marriage parallels our relationship with God and as he is faithful to us, so we must show the same faith towards our partner. The only way a person can remarry and be recognised by the Catholic Church is by the process of an annulment. An annulment says the marriage never met the conditions to be considered sacramental and therefore is invalid.
If a partner is to be unfaithful or abusive, the Church will allow physical separation of the couple but they are still regarded as married until an annulment is granted.
Since 2002, divorced people of Anglican faith are permitted to remarry again in Church but only under certain circumstances. The first step would be to make an enquiry with the vicar of the church that they want to get married in. A vicar will discuss their past and hear their story. However, some might feel unable to offer a wedding to a couple where one or both of the partners have been divorced. If this is the case, then the couple won’t be permitted to marry in the Anglican Church.
Despite Catholicism and Anglicanism being very similar faiths, they have key differences when it comes to weddings, where one of the partners has been divorced or believe in another religion.
Bibliography
Websites
- Marriage after divorce, accessed 15 October 2016, <https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/article/marriage-after-divorce/>.
- Mixed faith marriages, accessed 15 October2016, <https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/article/mixed-faith-marriages/>.
- Divorce 2016, accessed 16 October 2016, <https://www.churchofengland.org/our-views/marriage,-family-and-sexuality-issues/divorce.aspx>.
- Divorce, Annulments, and Remarriage 2014, accessed 16 October 2016, <http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/divorce-annulments-and-remarriage/>.
- Catholic Marriage - About Catholics 2014, accessed 17 October 2016, <http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/catholic-marriage/>.
- Catholic Wedding Help 2008, accessed 17 October 2016, <http://catholicweddinghelp.com/questions/unbaptized.htm>.
Images
- Interfaith Marriage, jpg, Global Indonesian Voices, accessed 18 October 2016, <http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/InterfaithMarriageIndonesia_ColeenDayBlog.jpg>.
- Divorce, jpg, Indian Link, accessed 18 October 2016, <http://www.sikhanswers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sikh-divorce.jpg>.