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Do I Need RCIA?

Question:

My husband was baptized but made no other sacraments. We were not married in Church. Do I have to attend RCIA too?

Answer:

If either you or your husband had been baptized in the Catholic Church previous to your wedding, then the marriage would be invalid, and would need to be validated in the Church (i.e., “have the marriage blessed”). If you were both non-Catholic and not previously married, then the marriage would have been valid, and there would be nothing to do on that matter.

Based on your question, it seems as if your husband is in RCIA to receive First Communion and confirmation. If he’s in an invalid marriage, he would first need to validate the marriage before receiving the other sacraments.

However, there is no requirement that both spouses be Catholic or that both spouses have received all the sacraments of initiation in order to enter into a valid marriage. If you are a Catholic who has not received all the sacraments of initiation, then it might be a good idea to attend with your husband, but there is no requirement that you do so.

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