Marriage in a Catholic Church as a non-believer

My wife and I had a no frills Justice of the Peace wedding here in the good ole' US of A last fall. However, we are scheduled for a proper Catholic wedding back in Munich with her family in early 2006. I guess the Germans like to get married twice.

My question is, does anyone know what the process is for a Protestant to get married in a Catholic church? I know that I no longer have to convert, but I am sure they have a few hoops lined up for me to jump through, and since they are German, I am sure they added a few more for good measure.

Any information?

Ryan

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Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

Had registry job in the UK and then the full Catholic church blessing (not much shorter than a real wedding I think) over here. We had to get a note from a UK Catholic Priest to say that we were OK people etc (even attended a couple of classes!!!), and that gave us the permission for the priest over here.

I am as it happens an Atheist but kept quiet about that to keep the peace. SO most certainly can be done. I think most churches are looking to get bums on seats anyway.

you have to be more carefull about what you say here in Bavaria. In Britain, i think, they will marry virtually anyone these days in church. A good friend of mine is a catholic priest and he would not have married me in church , despite my wife being catholic, because i am an ex-catholic. He knows my feelings about the church (well about institutionanlised religion in general really) and has openly said (and he wasn't joking) that he, and a number of his colleagues, would refuse to marry me in church.

So to cut a long story short, follow JE's advice and keep very stumm about any grievences about the church or catholic upbringing for any kids. go to the classes and pretend you believe in it all.

They didn't ask me anything, really, my hubby is a registered catholic and I am a registered nothing. Though I bet I have seen the inside of a church waaay more than he ever has. I didn't have to take any classes or show any paperwork (though I did tell him that I am missouri-synod lutheran). We got married in the big church next to the Oktoberfest.

What!! They didn't ask you anything, DD? Damn it, I had already rushed out and rounded up the items suggested by MTV, along with a trapeze set, numerous colors of face paint and the little metal thingy that goes on the top of the staff in Raiders of the Lost Arc to show wher The Arc of the Covenant was buried. What a waste of time and energy. Thanks a lot, MTV.

Seriously though, thanks for all of your help...nothing as confusing as navigating the waters of Catholic Red Tape. Except maybe that of the Germans...