Why no banns in mixed marriages?

Answer 1

Banns of marriage were traditionally published in Catholic parishes to announce to parishioners impending marrages and to publicly solicit for any information from people who might be aware of impediments which would prevent the marriage from happening (such as previous marriage, family relationship, religious vows, etc). There was a formal system of publishing banns in the 1917 Code of Canon Law which, it seems, forbade publication of banns of "mixed" marriages, that is marrages between Catholics and baptized non-Catholics, unless the bishop decided there would be no scandal in such an announcement (CIC 1026?). In reality, the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia reports that most parishes 'tolerated' such publications: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02255a.htm "Mixed marriages" were (and still are) considered less-than-optimal situations for Catholics to find themselves in, as there is a real threat to the faith of a Catholic (and their children) who enters such a union. This is the root of the 'scandal' which law referrs to. The preference was (and still is) that Catholics should marry fellow Catholics. (Nowadays seeking permission to marry outside the faith, while still considered exceptional in Church law, is a perfunctory process that most prists have been given the faculties by their bishops to premit.) The reasoning would seem to be that the union of bodies and souls in marriage is diminished and hampered when the most important thing which a couple can share in this world- their faith- is not united. The entire system of publishing banns was abrogated in the 1983 code. Nowadays, the process of examinating candidates for marriage and the publishing of banns is left to the local Conference of Bishops (Canon #1067). The norms in the United States are here: http://www.usccb.org/norms/1067.htm In these norms, there is no mention and thus <i>no requirement</i> to publish banns. Indeed, the present practice of investigation would seem to be more reliable (most notably, the testimony knowledgeable witnesses and public records which indicate if previous marriages have been attempted) than relying on banns. Further, as large and (unfortunately) as impresonal as some parishes are, and as moble as young people are, it would be foolish to rely on banns as a main source of public check-and-balance... simply stated, people generally do not know each other well enough to report impediments to their parish priest. In some places, banns are still published in one form or another. This, I think, is a good practice pastorally, even though it is not required in the United States. It would also seem a good idea to publish banns of mixed marriages, but like the publication of banns themselves, this would be soley at the discretion of the pastor unless otherwise direceted by particular law of a diocese or norms of a local confrerence of bishops.