Perkawinan Campur dan Beda Agama: Sikap dan Kebijakan Gereja

In marriage, husband and wife together strive to realize the community of life and love in all its aspects and dimensions: personal-human and spiritualreligious dimensions. In order for such a fellowship to be attained more easily, the Church wants the people to choose a partner who is of the same faith, bearing in mind that faith has a very strong influence on the inner and outer unity of husband and wife, the education of children and the welfare of the family. Out of respect for other religions, recognition of the right of every person to marry (cf. Can. 219), and various social realities, it is possible in the Catholic Church to have mixed marriage (mixta religio) or interfaith marriage (disparitas cultus). After all, mixed marriages and interfaith marriages can be a problem that continues to arise, in the midst of a pluralistic society. A lot of young Catholics at some point in their lives have to face this problem and seek information and assistance to determine attitudes and make concrete choices that must be accounted for. Moreover, some mixed marriages and interfaith marriages ofen need assistance in the journey of their married life. Renewal of the Church's position and policy towards these problems is a Church concern that can provide relief to the people. However, with the existing policies and guidelines, personal problems are not automatically resolved. It is the duty of the pastors of souls to continue to develop the ministry of mixed marriage and interfaith marriage, so that Catholics counterparts in such marriages are still able to witness the power of God's word and assist their children to grow in the Catholic faith.