Congratulations on the love and commitment you are discovering together! Love is a most precious thing and all such things are tried that they may be even more glorious.

Strictly speaking both of you *are* of the same faith and religion - you are both Christians, belonging to our Lord Jesus Christ. He has seen fit to permit the divisions that still seem to divide His people into communities and Churches that do not fully recognize each other. Such is the case with the Catholic and Coptic Orthodox Churches.

The Catholic Church appears to be more tolerant in this regard - your marriage can be blessed by them, except that you will have to promise to baptize and raise your children as Catholics.

The Coptic Church seems to be much more conservative and if you go that route you may have to join that Church. You could see it as not really forsaking you Catholic heritage but simply adding to it the Coptic heritage. Both Churches have wonderful traditions and beautiful saints.

It would be best if you both together consulted the pastors of your Churches and prayerfully and humbly made your decision. There *are* marriages that begin and remain *ecumenical*, i. e. both parties adhere to their own faith and work out gradually how they will live it out in their marriage and their family.

You probably will not be able to make a perfect and once-for-all-time decision. But if you continue to seek God together - you say your love for each other has brought you closer to Him - and you seek each one of you to honour the other before yourself, you will always find a way to stay together and keep on growing into the unity that your love and faith offer you.

Such is my conviction at any rate.

Please see other articles on marriages on this site.