[quote:i2g3jize]Hi. Quick question: If I marry a Catholic, am I required to sign an agreement stating the children will be Catholic? I have agreed verbally that I will raise children catholic, but having to sign something feels as though it alienates me for being Protestant and that my word is not enough in the eyes of the Church. I don’t feel comfortable signing something that (I feel) separates and highlights our differences even moreso. Does it HAVE to be signed??
-Ashley[/quote:i2g3jize]

With regards to your questions about whether or not you need to sign a statement that you will raise your children Catholic, it really depends on the bishop of the diocese that you are in or it could just be the priest at the church you are dealing with. I suggest you contact the chancery (the bishop’s office) regarding your question and maybe they can help you further.

It is not that the Church is trying to alienate you from your Protestant faith, but rather that She regards the parents’ duty to raise their children in the Catholic Faith as a very serious one. Sadly, there are many parents who do not recognize the gravity of this responsibility and many are lost because of the lack of education in Catholicism.

The Church merely wishes to ensure that the parents know and understand how important it is that their children are fully educated in their duties as Catholics, and signed statements are the usual testaments to an agreement.
-Marissa Johannes