What is a dispensation from disparity of cult?

• A. Permission to marry a non-Catholic; granted by the competent authority to overcome impediment.
• B. A reduction of the canonical form requirements.
• C. Permission to marry a Catholic in a non-Catholic ceremony.
• D. An exemption from baptism requirements.

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is a special permission in canon law that removes an impediment to marriage. Disparity of cult refers to an impediment when one party is Catholic and the other is not baptized or belongs to a different religion. A dispensation from disparity of cult is the authority’s grant to allow the Catholic to marry a non-Catholic despite that obstacle, so the marriage can proceed under church law.

This dispensation is given by the competent authority (typically the diocesan bishop) and comes with responsibilities, such as the Catholic party's commitment to preserve the Catholic faith and to strive to raise children in the Catholic tradition, while respecting the other party’s freedom to practice their faith. It is specifically about overcoming the disparity of cult, not about changing limits on liturgical form or baptism requirements.

The other options don’t fit because they describe different permissions or relaxations (reducing form requirements, permitting a Catholic to marry in a non-Catholic ceremony, or exempting baptism), none of which address the impediment created by disparity of cult.