Do you have to be baptized to be married in a church?
Yes. Well, in catholic churches and church of england, anyway. Also if you want to take communion insetad of just being blessed at the wedding, you have to be confirmed as well
Catholic Groom vs. Baptist Bride?
Whoops -- you've got fact and fiction all mixed up. Let's try to straighten it out. 1a) The Catholic Church doesn't recognize civil marriages because for Catholics, matrimony is a Sacrament, like baptism. So just like you wouldn't go down to the county courthouse to get baptized, a Catholic is not supposed to go down to the county courthouse to get married. Your Catholic husband should have been aware of this, but maybe he never got a good education about Catholicism. 1b) Your marriage does NOT have to be nullified (which means the Church saying it isn't a real marriage). However, your marriage DOES have to be convalidated, which is a fancy word for getting a blessing from a priest for your marriage so that you are married not only in the eyes of the government, but also in the eyes of the Church. Paperwork has to be submitted through the Chancery (the headquarters of the local diocese), but a priest can do it. 2) It is NOT true that you would be required to convert to Catholicism. Catholics marry non-Catholics all the time. Your husband needs "dispensation" (permission), but that's not a big deal, as long as neither one of you were ever married before. 3) While there are similarities, a Catholic wedding is different from a Baptist wedding because a Catholic wedding is a Sacramental rite. Baptists do not consider Matrimony to be a Sacrament, so it's just a vow between man and woman. The Catholic vows are to God, and it's a three-way, permanent union that cannot be undone for any reason. "What God has joined, let no person separate). Also, unity candles are not always allowed in Catholic churches. In my church, which is a historic building, there are no unity candles for safety reasons. Now what you have to do is have your husband call his parish and speak with his priest about having your marriage convalidated.
Do both the bride and groom have to be confirmed to get married in a catholic church?
The first question would be are you Catholic? If you are not, then you do not have to worry about being confirmed. If you are, then is there a reason you are not confirmed? At least one of the couple, bride or groom, must be Catholic to be married in the Catholic church. If one or the other is not, there are some parts of the Mass and of the rites they are not allowed to participate in. For the most part, the one who is not Catholic must learn about the Catholic faith, and a full Mass is not celebrated. Each church and diocese are, unfortunately, different on this issue, and some are more stringent than others. Confirmation is one of the sacraments of the church, just like Marriage is considered a sacrament. For lay people, Marriage is the highest sacrament, much like Holy Orders for a priest. Typically, the Church wants you to receive all the sacraments as a progression of your faith. If you are Catholic, discuss this with your priest and find out about classes needed. It's not a very involved process to be confirmed. Since your wedding isn't until next year, you have plenty of time. Good luck.
Catholic and Southern Baptist Marriage?
He will not have to convert! It's not expected or even asked of him to convert. BUT if you're being married in the Catholic faith he'd have to agree to three things: 1) He would have to attend a pre-cana or pre-marriage course. 2) He would have to promise to not prevent you from practising your faith. 3) He would have to promise to allow any children you have to be raised in the Catholic faith. He wouldn't have to attend Mass or do anything, simply promise (to God and not to the church) that he won't prevent you from taking the children to Mass and will allow them to receive their sacraments. Most non-Catholic partners have a problem with this last promise so it's definitely something that you're going to have to talk about beforehand. There are other options open to the two of you: You could get dispensation from the bishop to have the wedding in a non-denominational chapel (so long as it's not outdoors). It would still be a Catholic wedding performed by the priest but it might make things a bit more comfortable for the non-Catholics. OR you can opt to just have the wedding ceremony and leave out the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This is another way of trying to make the non-Catholic's feel more comfortable since most of the non-Catholic's are nervous when it comes to a Catholic ceremony and they feel left out if they can't receive Communion (especially since your groom can't receive it either). OR you can talk to the priest and ask him if you could have a Baptist minister in attendence who could perform his own blessing on the two of you. OR you can try to get a dispensation of form which will allow you to get married at a Baptist ceremony but it will still be valid in the Catholic church and you can have a priest in attendance as well. Talk to your fiance and hear what he has to say about what he wants for his wedding and then see what compromises you can come up with, and talk to his minister and your priest as well. Good luck.
How can I be baptized without joining a church?
1) Become your own Pope. http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjeste... 2) Find a pond, and take a running jump, while thinking the right thoughts.