What are the rules governing a Roman Catholic wedding ceremony when the groom is a confirmed non-practicing RC and the bride is Protestant?

Answer 1

This is a complicated matter which should be referred to one's pastor. If the wedding took place in the groom's church without a "dispensation from canonical form" coming from the bride's bishop (by way of her own pastor), then the wedding would be considered null and void in the eyes of the Church. Catholics are obliged to be married according to canonical form, that is 1) before their own pastor or a priest/deacon delegated by him, 2) according to the rite of the Church, and 3) before witnesses. This obligation can be dispensed by the bishop for good reason. If you have been working with a Catholic priest to prepare your wedding, then I would hope and presume the priest would have seen to having this done. To disregard this obligation to be married under 'canoncial form' or to fail to seek a dispensation from 'canonical form' risks an invalid marriage and is thus "serious matter" for the confessional. One who finds herself/himself in this condition should not be receiveing Holy Communion until it is resolved and one is given the 'all clear' from her/his confessor. Where would one go from here based on this scenario? More than likely, this marriage can be "convalidated" in the Church where one forms a new marriage covenant before a priest/deacon in proper (valid) form. Alternatively, it might be possible for this marriage to be declared sanated (that is, 'healed') by a declaration of Church authority, which would not require the new expression of consent. Again, your local Catholic pastor is the one who can and will lead you through this process. This would be the same procedure if a Catholic married in a courthouse without dispensation from form, or if one were married before a priest without jurisdiction (for example, a "Rent-a-Priest" who has left the priesthood or the jurisdiction of a diocese and claims to do "Catholic Weddings" on the side), or the case you present. All bets are off if there are previous marriages for either the bride or the groom. Previous marriages would need to be addressed before this marriage could be regularized in the Church. Obviously if both parties are not Catholic, they are not bound by Catholic law and can marry freely and validly (which, actually, makes it more difficult to declare these marriages 'null' if one of the parties would later want to contract marriage with a Catholic following a civil divorce). If a Catholic leaves the Church through a formal act, they are not bound by canoncial form and can enter this kind of marriage validly. (Of course, there would be great spiritual peril of leaving the Church altogether, but that's a whole other discussion.) Again, this is not the forum to receive proper pastoral care for these matters. Call your Catholic pastor and work with him. (And if you are unable to work with him or things don't seem to be getting done, find another priest you know and can trust to be your advocate in this important process.)

Answer 2

I have a friend who was in the same situation. I order to be married in the Catholic church, he had to take Catholocism classes and convert to Catholic.