When I first encountered interchurch families in my early ecumenical work, I had no idea that I would eventually marry someone from another church and become an interchurch family. I am now married to the Rev. Amanda Currie, a Presbyterian minister. Yet, at the time, I had little experience with theological or pastoral questions of marriage and family and no clue about how these would be significant in ecumenical relations in Canada.

Various surveys of Canadian dioceses since the 1980s have confirmed that 60% or more of marriages in Catholic parishes are what we used to call “mixed marriages”. This catch-all term includes marriages of a Catholic with anyone who is not Catholic, including other Christians, people of various other religions, and people with nominal or no religion. Most couples come to marriage with differing religious experiences or commitment levels, so most churches have historically cautioned against “inter-marriage” on practical grounds and sometimes with rather peculiar preconceptions about the other.
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In a change to church law, Latin-rite Catholic deacons may not preside at a wedding when one or both of the new spouses are members of an Eastern Catholic church. The new rule is one of the changes to 11 canons in the Latin-rite Code of Canon law that Pope Francis approved in order to harmonize the laws of the Latin and Eastern Catholic churches on several issues involving the sacraments of baptism and marriage. After more than 15 years of study and worldwide consultation, the conflicting rules were resolved by adopting the Eastern code’s formulations for the Latin church as well, said Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. The bishop spoke to journalists Sept. 15 after the publication of an apostolic letter published “motu proprio” (on his own initiative) in which Pope Francis ordered the changes to the Latin Code of Canon Law, the 1983 text governing the majority of the world’s Catholics. In the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the blessing of a priest is necessary for the validity of a marriage. In the Latin-rite church, a deacon can preside over the sacrament. The new law specifies, “Only a priest can validly assist at the matrimony of two Eastern parties or between a Latin and Eastern Catholic or non-Catholic,” meaning a member of an Orthodox Church.
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At their autumn meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., members of the Anglican Church of Canada’s House of Bishops agreed to convene a special meeting from February 23-26 to discuss the report of the Commission on the Marriage Canon.

In a communiqué released October 26, the bishops said this meeting would “pay particular attention to the theology of marriage, the nature of episcopacy, and the synod’s legislative process” and “wrestle with how to honour our roles as guardians of the Church’s faith and discipline and signs of unity both locally and universally.”

The question of legislative process — how General Synod 2016 will approach the divisive vote on whether or not to allow same-sex marriage — has raised some anxiety among bishops, and was brought up in the communiqué.

“We are concerned that parliamentary procedure may not be the most helpful way to discern the mind of the Church, or of the Spirit, in this matter,” it stated. “We would ask those in charge of designing the process whereby the draft resolution comes to the floor…to consider ways in which trust and understanding can be deepened and promoted.”
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The church may want to look at same-sex marriages as partaking “in the same covenant” as heterosexual unions, but “on somewhat different terms,” and possibly involving alternate liturgies, recommends the report of the Commission on the Marriage Canon, released today.

Just as the New Testament describes the Gentiles in the early church as drawn into the people of Israel’s covenant with God, but not required to observe Jewish tradition, so might the Anglican Church of Canada understand same-sex couples as drawn into the same covenant as heterosexual couples, but in a new way, commission member Stephen Martin told members of the Council of General Synod (CoGS), who gathered for a special session in Toronto to receive the report.

“We’re suggesting this might be the more accurate, faithful and biblical way of thinking about what might be happening in the church today,” added commission member Canon Paul Jennings, who explained the report’s section dealing with models for same-sex marriage. “That is, it’s not a question of us redefining marriage in the abstract to be more inclusive and thereby imply, I don’t know what – that the previous understanding of marriage was wrong. But, it may be simply that God is calling same-sex couples into marriage and thereby broadening and enriching the institution without denying its previous meanings.”
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In a nine-page contribution submitted to the Anglican Church of Canada’s commission on the marriage canon earlier today, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada (ARC) warns that changing Canon 21 to allow for same-sex marriages would “weaken the very basis of our existing communion, and weaken the foundations upon which we have sought to build towards fuller ecclesial communion.”

The contribution, produced at the request of the Anglican church, acknowledges that while great changes have taken place in the broader cultural understanding of marriage in North America in recent years, “Roman Catholics are left to wonder what has changed, such that our previous common understanding of marriage is left in doubt.”

The commission on the marriage canon, established by Council of General Synod in the fall of 2013, was created in response to a resolution approved at General Synod earlier that year to bring a motion concerning same-sex marriage to its next meeting in 2016. The commission’s mandate is to carry out a “broad consultation” within the church in preparation for the motion, and part of this consultation has involved seeking opinions from ecumenical partners such as the Roman Catholic Church.
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The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) has urged the Anglican Church of Canada not to amend its marriage canon (church law) to allow the marriage of same-sex couples, saying such a move would “cause great distress for the Communion as a whole, and for its ecumenical relationships.” The IASCUFO’s statement came in response to a request from the Canadian church’s Commission on the Marriage Canon for an opinion about proposed changes to Canon 21 that would allow for same-sex marriages. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, decided IASCUFO would be the “most appropriate” body within the Communion to deal with such a question. The Anglican Church of Canada has the prerogative “to address issues appropriate to its context,” the IASCUFO said, but it noted the ramifications of “a change of this magnitude” for the Communion and its ecumenical partners. In a letter addressed to Canon Robert Falby, chair of the marriage canon commission, IASCUFO members said they were unanimous “in urging you not to move beyond your present policy of ‘local option.’ ” They noted that the absence of a General Synod decision about the blessing of same-sex unions or same-sex marriages “has given space for the rebuilding of fragile relationships across the Communion.”
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While the Catholic Church and the United Church aren’t about to agree about same-sex marriage (Catholic against, United in favour), the official Roman Catholic-United Church of Canada Dialogue has found significant common ground in their theologies, liturgies and pastoral approaches. “In the end it is good news that we were able to say something together on marriage,” said Michael Attridge, a University of St. Michael’s College theology professor who was one of the Catholic representatives on the dialogue. “A very important topic — something that’s very important to both our Churches.” The 23-page final report on marriage makes no change in either Church’s teaching on marriage and does not try to paper over significant differences on same-sex marriage, divorce and marriage as a sacrament. However, by analysing the Catholic and United Church marriage ceremonies and official Church documents, the dialogue found common ground. Both believe marriage must be the free choice of the spouses, is intended to be a lifelong commitment, is “a commitment to self-transcendence” which serves not just the couple but children and the whole community, is a vocation to holiness, and pastorally marriage preparation is important. The Churches decided to tackle marriage in their official dialogue after the United Church and Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops found themselves submitting opposing factums to the Supreme Court in 2004, before the court ruled on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage.
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New guidelines for the increasing number of interreligious marriages in the UK have been launched by the Christian-Muslim forum. Bishop Paul Hendricks, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Southwark, and Co-Chair of the Christian-Muslim Forum, welcomed the new guidelines, saying that “they offer valuable guidance for both priests and imams. With an increasing number of Christian-Muslim couples entering into marriage, we also need an increased awareness of the particular pastoral support that is owed to them, which can help them and their loved ones discover their marriage as a place of dialogue, and a beneficial link between two religions”.
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A Time for Hope: A National Marriage Enrichment Conference
March 19-20, 2010
Sheraton Cavalier, Saskatoon, SK

1-877-661-5005, ext 229
www.marriage2010.ca
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Saskatoon Anglicans narrowly reject same-sex marriages

[Anglican Journal] The diocese of Saskatoon, at its biennial synod held April 4-6, narrowly defeated a resolution that would have allowed clergy to bless same-sex civil marriages.

The vote was 41 against, 38 for and four abstentions, said Lorea Eufemia, secretary/treasurer of the diocese.

Moved by Canon Colin Clay and seconded by Cathy Hartsook, the resolution said: “Be it resolved that this 68th Session of the Synod of the Diocese of Saskatoon request the bishop to allow clergy, whose conscience permits, to bless the duly solemnized and registered civil marriages between same-sex couples, where at least one party is baptized, and to authorize rites for such blessings.”

It was the first time the issue had come before the Saskatoon synod, and the debate lasted nearly an hour and a half, said Ms. Eufemia. Opinions did not divide along urban and rural lines, she said. “Some members of urban parishes voted against it and some rural parishes were for it,” she said. She also noted that the debate was characterized by “respect, kindness and love.” The bishop of Saskatoon, Rodney Andrews, who could not immediately be reached, was pleased by the tone of the debate, she said.

The diocese has been discussing the issue of same-sex blessings for the past couple of years, she said. Members of the gay support group Integrity have spoken at diocesan council, the St. Michael report (which considers whether it is a matter of church doctrine) has been distributed to parishes and parishes have held consultations on the issue.
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By Nicholas Jesson In his address to a gathering of ecumenical leaders in Warsaw on May 25, Pope Benedict XVI has expressed strong support for pastoral care of interchurch families. Speaking to the Polish Council for Ecumenism and leaders of other religious groups, Benedict encouraged the work of a bilateral commission of the Catholic bishops’ conference
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Papal Reflections on Marriage and the Family

I found this article on the Vatican Information Service about Pope Benedict’s comments at a Rome congress on “The Family and the Christian Community.” I think that he has some positive affirmations to make about families, but I find it interesting that as I was trying to attend to the positives, he kept turning to the negatives. So, for example, he speaks about marriage but ends the section by cautioning about “pseudo-marriage” and divorce.

I wonder whether this gives us some insight into Benedict’s character, or at least some insight into his attitude towards married life. He ends his comments by calling for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life. That’s not exactly a rousing endorsement of marriage.

We should remember that Benedict’s favourite theologian is Augustine of Hippo, who had very similar fears about marriage. It is good and natural in theory, but a risky venture that might imperil your salvation. One is better off avoiding it altogether.
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During 2003, the Courts of Appeal in Ontario and British Columbia ruled that restricting marriage to couples of opposite sexes is discriminatory under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms equality provisions. As a result of the court decisions, marriage between same-sex couples in these two provinces became legal. The federal government has chosen not to appeal these rulings. Instead, the Chrétien government announced its intention to introduce new legislation in Parliament to legalise same-sex marriage across Canada and to ensure that the Charter provisions are respected. A reference was sent to the Supreme Court of Canada seeking clarification on a number of issues. In January 2004, the new Martin government affirmed its intention to reform the law, and asked the Supreme Court to respond as soon as possible. There will likely be a federal general election before any response from the Supreme Court is available.
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Le mariage est une structure fondamentale de toutes les sociétés humaines. Indépendamment des perspectives religieuses ou culturelles, chaque communauté humaine a reconnu, encouragé, et célébré le mariage. Les liens matrimonials et familials garantissent la stabilité et l’ordre social. Dans beaucoup de sociétés, les privilèges légaux résultant du mariage assurent et protègent l’héritage et le soin des enfants et des personnes âgées.

Les chrétiens considèrent que le mariage est plus qu’une institution humaine. Dieu nous a donné des partenaires. Nous sommes créés à l’image de Dieu, comme communauté des personnes dans l’amour réciproque et l’appui mutuel. « C’est pourquoi un homme se séparera de son père et de sa mère et s’attachera à sa femme, et les deux ne feront plus qu’un. » (Gen. 2.24) Cependant, les pratiques matrimoniales ne sont pas les mêmes dans chaque culture. Les églises chrétiennes ont lutté avec des pratiques tels que la polygamie, le mariage arrangé, les dots, et les accords pré-nuptiaux. Est-ce que toutes ces pratiques reflètent l’image de l’amour trinitaire ?
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Marriage is a fundamental structure of all human societies. Regardless of religious or cultural perspectives, every human community has recognised, encouraged, and celebrated marriage. Marital and familial bonds provide stability and social order. In many societies, the legal privileges resulting from marriage ensure and protect inheritance and the care of children and the elderly.

Christians consider marriage to be more than a human institution. God has given us partners. We are made in the image of God, a community of persons in mutual love and support. “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24) However, marital practices are not the same in every culture. Christian churches have struggled with practices such as polygamy, arranged marriage, dowries, bridal prices, and pre-nuptial agreements. Do all of these practices reflect the image of trinitarian love?
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When Bernie and Shirley Karstad were considering marriage, they had an added twist to consider. While both were dedicated, devoted and active church members, the catch was that they belonged to different churches. Neither had any interest in switching to another church tradition. Adding further complication, each was bringing children from a previous marriage into
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The challenge of mixed marriage in American life—and how the communities are responding to its problems andpossibilities both for the couples and for the raising of children—was the major topic of discussion at the semi-annual meeting of the U.S. Catholic-Jewish Consultation Committee. With the mixed marriage rate rising to around 50 percent in the Jewish
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