Age Restriction for Flower girls--MINIMUM age for a Catholic wedding????

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Just got an e-mail from my Aunt as one of my cousins is getting married. She is marrying a catholic and they are funny enough getting married in a church with the exact same name as ours. (last I heard they were getting married in the panhandle, so I think it is just a silly coincidence).

Evidently the parish as a "strict" age restriction policy with no exceptions and flower girls and ring bears must be AT LEAST 7 years old. Now here's the kicker--my oldest turns SEVEN two days after the wedding. I would be very surprised that their strict age policy is that strict. (i.e. how much will her maturity level change in a 48 hour period???)

I did tell her that her response to the church should be that my daughter will be 7 and 9 months--since they consider life to begin at conception. (I was being funny...I also provided the correct information)

No idea how this will turn out--but I am just surprised that they have an age minimum that is so high. I don't recall our church having a minimum--but we didn't have children in the wedding (didn't know any).

Does anyone else's church have a minimum this high?

(I don't care either way--it just surprised me, that is all)

 

[ashjohnson80]

I never knew there were age restrictions on flower girls. I'm not Catholic though. I had (3) 2-year old flower girls at my wedding.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We're Catholic--and I had no idea!

 

[Becky2005]

I've never heard of an age restriction before.

My friend did get married in a Catholic church and my daughter was the flower girl. I think she was about 4 at the time (this parish was also had a school attached to it, so that might make the difference).

 

[luvmydogs]

...I did tell her that her response to the church should be that my daughter will be 7 and 9 months--since they consider life to begin at conception...

No, I have never heard of age restrictions for fg/rbs before, but your response is classic.

 

[NAB]

I don't think our church has one either my flower girl was only 3 and the ringbear 5 when I married in the Catholic church.

 

[disneynutt1225]

I've never heard of this - and I'm Catholic as well.

I was 4 when I was a flower girl, and my flower girl is 4 1/2. I've heard of an age "guideline" but not from the church. Basically I go by maturity level - my flower girl is 4 1/2 going on 40,

 

[llij]

It must be some rule for their Parish. I'm Catholic and had never heard of this before.

 

[tnkbl]

We are Catholic and I have never heard an age requirement.

I do know there is an age requirement to be alter servers. Who knows, each church can be different.

 

[Dznypal]

my DS was 5 DD was 3 and were both in my sisters wedding in a catholic wedding and there was no problems.

now though my DD is getting married and I think the church is getting into places it doenst belong---

namely the bedroom--

my DD needs an affidavid that "she is able to bear children"

what business is it of theirs?!!! what if there is a medical reason--which also wouldnt be the churchs business!!! (didnt the church hear of the hippa law?)


we had a pastor that wouldnt marry a sister of a friend of my DD since she was living with her boyfriend!!

about a year later that pastor was convicted on child molestations!!!!!!!!

talking about not practicing what you preach--

sorry about running off with this thread--its just the whole church thing drives me nuts--

I was raised catholic but dont go to church--

too many people there think there holier then the pope!!!

thanks for letting me vent--

now back to the OP

 

[Daxx]

It must be some rule for their Parish. I'm Catholic and had never heard of this before.

Ditto here, too!

 

[RitaZ.]

I did tell her that her response to the church should be that my daughter will be 7 and 9 months--since they consider life to begin at conception. (I was being funny...I also provided the correct information)

I like this response!

 

[Quinn222]

As I recall 7 is considered the Age of Reason in the Catholic Church. Is this wedding a full Mass? Perhaps that has something to do with this parish having this rule. I used to be an enthusiastic member of my church but Cardinal Ratzinger was the last straw for me. I figured the Pope was old and frail and surely the new pop would get rid of that horrible hateful man and I could go back. Obviously I was wrong and I haven't been back since.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

namely the bedroom--

my DD needs an affidavid that "she is able to bear children"

what business is it of theirs?!!! what if there is a medical reason--which also wouldnt be the churchs business!!! (didnt the church hear of the hippa law?)

YIKES! We do have infertile married Catholics. Good grief! Are they going to start invalidating all those marriages???

 

[Disney Doll]

Dznypal, if you don't want to run off with the thread, then don't. I can't tell you, as a Catholic, how sick I get of everyone yammering about the Catholic Church. For something that everyone seems to hate, it sure seems to be a HUGE topic of discussion on the DIS!!!!!!!!

As far as age limts for flower girls...I don't think this is Catholic Church rule. It is probalby more of a local parish or diocese rule. My guess is that the pastor of the church has had some bad experiences with too young flower girls/ring bearers that disrupted the wedding Mass.

If there is someone who will be turning seven two days after the wedding, my guess is that it won't be an issue. Sounds like what they are trying to avoid is a toddler, who again, could become disruptive during Mass.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

CAtholic checking in here, don't know about this as my flower girl was 8 sorry!

 

[LisaB]

Another infertile Catholic but I have a daughter so I guess that is okay

 

[RitaZ.]

namely the bedroom--

my DD needs an affidavid that "she is able to bear children"

How the heck do you prove that?

 

[MsLeFever]

How the heck do you prove that?

Indeed! Don't plenty of people not discover their fertility issues until after their marriage? Surely they aren't requiring extensive fertility tests.

 

[Dznypal]

I wouldnt even want to think how you prove it

all I know is the church is getting a bit too noisey!!!

and yet if she had a kid before getting married (that would be her prove she can have kids!!!)

I bet the church wouldnt marry her since she had a "kid out of wedlock"!!!!!