NIMMA
28 Bedford Street, Belfast
N. Ireland, BT2 7FE
Phone:
(028) 9023 5444
E-mail: nimma@nireland.com

Relationships between communities impacts on mixed marriages

How different communities intermarry can be an indication of relationships. Although not uncommon during the 18th and 19th centuries, mixed marriages were always disapproved of, often discouraged and indeed made illegal during the Penal law period.

More recently, the situation worsened during the first period of the last century with the juxtaposition of the 1908 Roman Catholic Decree Ne Temere; the growing Home Rule movement; the reaction of Ulster Protestants, the First World War, the Easter Rising and the War of Independence and Partition.

Ne Temere and protests against

Ne Temere reaffirmed the Roman Catholic stance that "mixed marriages" should be conducted in a Roman Catholic Church performed by a Roman Catholic priest.

The Association of Loyal Orange Women which had been formed in the mid-19th century was revived in 1911 and was associated with protest meetings throughout Ireland against Ne Temere. The Protestant Churches were also very concerned, catholic and Protestant attitudes hardened against mixed marriages and our society is still experiencing the consequences of this almost a century later.

Mixed Marriages in the Community Today

The Roman Catholic Church has significantly moderated its position especially since the 1980's. The promise to bring the children up in the Roman Catholic tradition is now made only by the Roman Catholic partner and is within the unity of marriage. Many clergy from the Roman Catholic and main Protestant denominations do try and be helpful at the time of marriage and baptism of children.

Nevertheless general pastoral care of "mixed marriage" couples is often poor. Paradoxically it is often those couples who are trying to lead an Interchurch practising Christian life together and rearing their children to know the richness of the two traditions who make some Clergy, and indeed the wider community, uncomfortable.

Northern Ireland - the NIMMA years

The NIMMA publication "Celebrating the Success, Evaluating the Impact" provides useful hisdtorical insights into the changes in society over the years before and after NIMMA became active in the early 1970's.

The following extract highlights changes in relation to marriages:

"On Marriage …
In the first half of the 20th century, there were cases in Ireland where the non-Catholic spouse was brought to trial and convicted for not keeping the ‘promises’ and therefore guilty of neglecting one’s children and conversion was considered to be the easier route when choosing to marry someone of a different tradition Thankfully, the requirements regarding the promises were relaxed substantially in 1970 with the passage of Matrimonia Mixta requiring the Catholic partner to only do what was in one’s power to do, within the marriage, to raising one’s children as Catholic. Intentionally vague, the ruling allowed for flexibility of interpretation that was of benefit to mixed marriage couples. However, it took another thirteen years (1983) before it became enacted and enforced by authorities within the Irish Roman Catholic Church."

The publication also addresses a range of other issues including sectarianism, inter-marriage, housing, inter-communion and traces the changes in society through the experiences of individual people as they seek to put love before traditional tribal allegiences. The report also highlights the continuing need for NIMMA:

"On Baptism …
While the ability to get married has become easier over the years, the issue of baptisms has become more difficult. As couples no longer convert in order to be a single-tradition family, the desire to baptise their children into both traditions is a natural consequence. In the early days, ecumenical or joint baptisms that were concelebrated were done in much greater frequency. However, in the last 15-20 years the ability to baptize one’s children in this manner has become more difficult as church authorities have frowned upon joint baptisms…".