Catholic Church Wedding Problems!

This has to be an idiosyncrasy (or idiocy) of the parish priest.   Unless your wife is really attached to this parish, why not just make a lateral move to another parish and priest.   Failing that go upward to the archbishop.  Refusing to marry a couple both of whom were catholic, due to secular political reasons, must be contrary to church teaching.

Ignore that idiot priest and go eleswhere....problem solved.

colinoscapee wrote:

Ignore that idiot priest and go eleswhere....problem solved.

colinoscapee is right, find another church. I can tell you from personal experience that not all Catholic churches here have this policy.

I suggest call or visit/call the Pastorial Center and ask for Winston. He is also usually at the Sunday 9:30 mass in the Notre Dame Church. Best of luck.

Thank you all for your time and help on this matter!

After you are successfully church married, perhaps you might consider referring this priest to higher authorities for discipline.  Keep us posted.

There is, however, nothing in universal Church law that would require obtaining a visa before a marriage.  Is possible there may be some kind of local diocesan policy? Maybe.


In any event, I recommend that you contact the diocese and explain the situation to them.



Sincerely,

Theological Advisor

Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Pretty well sums it up.

he wants cash

ever notice his nice car n house?

I agree

Thaiger wrote:

he wants cash

ever notice his nice car n house?

Priests and monks in Vietnam they don't serve the Lord or Buddha. What they want is cash money $$$. I've seen monks smoking and drinking all the time. They all seemed to living la vida doca.

God accepts and ordains civil marriage just as He does with church wedding. Church wedding is western tradition and does not add to nor take away anything from civil marriage that God equally accepts and ordains. If Vietnam government accepts civil marriage so is God. That's the important thing to keep in mind.

In fact, you can totally skip the church wedding thing and have only a wedding party to please the Vietnamese public, a huge tradition influenced by a stronger desire to safe face.

Now my own take. Most women and their family in Vietnam have one particular goal---to send their daughters to America or to other western countries. So I assumed the church supports such plan because when the church member succeeds, the priests and the church benefit too from remittances. Think about all this. I have dated Vietnamese women for over two years, visited VN few occasions, and emersed myself in the culture to learn and understand the way of life.

Good luck my fellow American! Blessings!

One final comment I would make is that although a civil wedding is the only one recognized by the state in Vietnam, many Catholic families may feel a strong need to be married in the church even if it has no legal significance, in order to be married in the eyes of god.  That is what is so peculiar about a priest putting a political twist into the plan.  I would think that the priest would feel that the church wedding is more important than the civil.

Now that we have all given our 2 cents, or 500 VND, maybe it is time to sit back and let Justme71 have time to find a work around and report back if he is successful.