Mixed marriages still a problem

AN APPEAL was made to the General Synod in Dublin yesterday that "urgent representations" be made to the Catholic Church "at the highest possible level" to remove the existing impediments to mixed marriages.

The Rev Peter Hanna, from Cork, also described as "disingenuous" statements by the Catholic Church that what was required of the Catholic partner in a mixed marriage was no more than was required of a Catholic marrying a Catholic

Remarking that he was "saying this in the light of the welcome apology given by Bishop William Walsh for the hurt inflicted by the Roman Catholic Church by their, rules on inter-church marriages, he believed "it has to be said that such hurts are still being inflicted to this day".

Over the past two years, four of his family were involved in mixed marriages, two of them his daughters. "In three of these marriages, the matter of a Roman Catholic dispensation became a divisive issue."

He said that before gaining a dispensation, the Catholic partner was required to sign a declaration which required - "among other matters the Catholic partner to undertake to have all children of the marriage baptised and brought up as Catholics.

He recalled that at the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation representatives of the Catholic hierarchy said that, in mixed marriages nothing more was required of the Catholic partner than was required of a Catholic marrying a Catholic. They had also said "the decision on how children of a mixed marriage are brought up is now a matter for the parents alone".

Mr Hanna said where he came from this was not the case. And where mixed marriages were concerned "we are patently not dealing with Roman Catholic marrying Roman Catholic".

Trying to apply rules designed for that (Catholic to Catholic) situation to one which was clearly different "just does not work, as the requirement regarding the up-bringing of children demonstrates".

Where his own family was concerned, all four marriages took place within the Church of Ireland, with a Catholic priest present at each even though, in one case, no dispensation was granted by the Catholic bishop. All marriages were stable and he was now "the proud grandfather of Luke James", whom he baptised last year "not into any denomination, for baptism, by its nature, is non-denominational".