Rules for the wedding of an Orthodox bride with representatives of another faith. Why You Can't Get Married to a Catholic Spouse in a Catholic Church If an Orthodox Church Isn't Available

The Orthodox wedding ceremony implies the full consent of the bride and groom to take an oath of allegiance to each other, as well as receiving from the church the blessing of their union, the birth and upbringing of children in accordance with the traditions of the Christian society.

The ceremony consists of two parts: and the wedding itself. Initially, these two processes took place separately from each other, but by the end of the 17th century they were combined. In the process of betrothal, the priest puts wedding rings on the bride and groom, as a symbol of their endless, eternal and boundless love. The spouses, as a sign of their consent, must exchange rings three times, after which one ring remains with the bride, and the second with the groom.

After the betrothal, the priest with the help of a crown marks the bride and groom in a cruciform way. The couple are offered a cup of red wine, which symbolizes their common destiny, and the newlyweds alternately drink all the wine in three steps. Next, the priest joins the right hands of the newlyweds and circles them three times around the lectern. This is a symbol of the beginning of a joint path.

At the end of the ceremony, the bride and groom kiss the icons of the Mother of God and the Savior, receive two icons from the priest, prepared in advance by the parents of the spouses, and the wedding ceremony ends.

Catholic wedding traditions

A Catholic wedding is a ceremony full of solemnity and beauty, which is performed once in a lifetime. After the wedding of the Catholic spouses, only death can separate them.

Unlike the Orthodox, where the main roles are distributed between the priest and those entering into marriage, in the Catholic rite, one of the main participants is the father of the bride. As the head of the family, he leads his daughter to the altar and hands her over to her future husband. From this day on, it is the husband who will be obliged to care for and reverently love his chosen one.

The main ceremony begins with the opening prayer of a Catholic priest, during which the bride and groom kneel on special chairs, witnesses are nearby, and relatives and invited guests sit. After the prayer and answers to the questions of the priest, the bride and groom swear an oath of fidelity and love, exchange rings in the church book. This concludes the wedding ceremony in the Catholic Church.

wedding bans

According to the laws of the Orthodox and Catholic churches, marriages between blood relatives, as well as half-brothers and sisters, are prohibited. For the Orthodox rite, it is mandatory that both spouses be baptized; in the Catholic Church, marriage is impossible, a monk or, and also if one of the spouses was previously married in the Orthodox Church.

The wedding is one of the seven church sacraments, during which the newlyweds enter into a marriage union before God, certifying their feelings for each other. the sacrament of a wedding in an Orthodox church lasts about an hour.

The sacrament itself consists of the subsequent betrothal and directly. Before the start of the solemn service, the serving priest greets the newlyweds to the sound of bells at the entrance to the temple.

Before the start of the betrothal, the newlyweds are at the end of the temple (at the same time, a special board is laid under their feet). Next, the newlyweds are given wedding candles in their hands. After that, the priest departs to the center of the temple and gives an exclamation to the beginning of the sacrament. Then the clergyman pronounces the litany with special petitions for the newlyweds. Then a prayer is read after which the priest again approaches the newlyweds and puts rings on their fingers. Rings (as it is called in the Orthodox tradition) change three times. That is, in turn, the wedding ring of the husband and wife is put on the finger of the spouse. After that, a few more prayers are read by the priest in the center of the temple.

After the prayers, the priest approaches the couple and, while singing certain wedding hymns, brings the newlyweds to the center of the temple. Then there is a question about the desire for a church marriage. After receiving from both sides, the sacrament of the wedding begins directly.

One of the main moments of the wedding is the laying of crowns on the newlyweds. After that, the priest pronounces the sacramental formula three times: “Lord our God, crown (them) with glory and honor.” At the same time, the priest raises his hands to the sky, and then turns to the newlyweds and blesses them. This happens three times. This is followed by readings of passages from the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament.

Another moment of the wedding service is the use by the newlyweds of wine from a single cup as a sign that now the husband and wife have everything in common. After that, the priest takes the newlyweds by the hand and walks with them three times around the lectern while singing certain chants in chorus.

The crowns are removed from the heads of the spouses before the end of the wedding. At the end of the sacrament, the newlyweds sing the hymn “Many years”, in which longevity is asked of God for the newlyweds.

After the sacrament is performed, the priest leads the newlyweds to the open royal doors on the salt. The husband and wife kiss the icons located near the royal doors, and then, as a testament to the love of the newlyweds, the newlyweds kiss themselves.

At the end of the wedding, the priest can say a parting word for the young, after which a certificate is necessarily issued.

In some temples, there is a practice of passing three times around the temple for the newlyweds on, after which, to the sound of bells, the wedding procession leaves the temple.

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• How does the wedding ceremony take place?

"Hello, Victor! An Orthodox Christian can marry a Catholic only if the wedding takes place in an Orthodox church and their children are brought up in Orthodoxy. It is impossible for an Orthodox Christian to get married in a Catholic church. I wish your friend to create a strong and happy family!" Hello father! So you answered a certain Victor. Where do you get such categorical? In situations where an Orthodox church is not available? Is it better not to get married at all? The understanding of the Sacraments among Catholics and Orthodox is close. Or is it better to destroy the family, but try to forcibly drive the spouse into Orthodoxy or save the family and lead the whole family to an Orthodox church by example? Igor.

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers:

Hello Igor!

An Orthodox Christian must not take part in the sacraments performed by the Catholic Church. In our time, it is difficult to imagine a situation where an Orthodox church is not accessible, but if this is true, it is enough to register a marriage in accordance with the laws of the state in which the bride and groom live, and at the first opportunity to get married in an Orthodox church. Let me remind you that an officially registered marriage is recognized by the Orthodox Church as a legal marriage. No one seeks to drive a Catholic spouse into Orthodoxy by force: a wedding with non-Orthodox (that is, Christians who do not belong to the Orthodox Church) does not imply a change in their religion.

I was baptized in the Orthodox Church, my parents are Orthodox, but on my mother's side there were Poles (my grandfather) - Catholics. Unfortunately, my grandfather died early, and it so happened that in my childhood my grandmothers took me both to church and to the church, and even when I was still a child, some things irritated me, for example, that people came to church more like a club. .. to talk, gossip... And also too chic decoration is very distracting - I still go into a museum - I stand, look at the gold molding and painting, forgetting why I came ... But, - understanding what to say like that, probably not, - for this reason, since childhood, the church has somehow become closer to me, or something, like at home ... I feel calm there, nothing distracts me. After 15 years, I again ended up in the church where I was taken as a child... It is already dilapidated, built in 1810. But there is such an atmosphere, as if I had never gone anywhere (the church is located in another city 500 km away). Forgive me for writing so much, but I have a question: can I constantly visit the church, confess and take communion, and also marry an Orthodox young man in a Catholic church and take an oath exactly according to the Catholic rite - addressing each other? (The young man was baptized according to the Orthodox rite, but he practically does not attend church.) It was always incomprehensible to me. what prohibitions can there be... After all, God is one for all... How can people be divided into one and the other...

Dear Olga, indeed, some people feel good in an Orthodox church, others prefer organ music and benches in a Catholic church, others will go to listen to music at the conservatory, and still others will go to football. However, when choosing our worldview priorities, when determining such important things: how we want to believe and what Church we want to belong to, that is, which one we recognize as the true Church of Christ, we should probably be guided not only and not so much by emotional and aesthetic preferences or acquaintances with people who belong to a particular Church or organization. Somehow this would be very shallow in relation to Christ and His Church. Wouldn't it be embarrassing before Christ for such petty motives in defining one's religious worldview? Agree: among representatives of totalitarian sects, and even among representatives of clearly non-Christian worldviews - say, communists - there are people of high moral life and very, very worthy in their appearance. And at sectarian meetings, the atmosphere may seem very "prayerful" to someone. And it will be "quietly at home" there. But this will not induce us on this basis to join sectarians or communists. In the same way, it does not follow from the presence of worthy non-Orthodox people who do not violate the order of worship with conversations, from the beauty of a Catholic church familiar from childhood, that we should share all the errors that exist in non-Orthodox confessions.

The stamp repeated by you that God is one for all and no matter what the faith is called can only be pronounced on the basis of, pardon me for the harshness, conspicuous religious ignorance. Christ did not come to earth to give an ethical doctrine, an exalted set of moral standards for His disciples to follow, not to explain the mysteries of the world and create the most sublime of all philosophies that ever existed. He came to found the Church - a mysterious spiritual organism in which we would all be united with Him as the head. And we must clearly realize that there are not many different churches in heaven. There is no Muslim, Buddhist, Shinto or Jehovah's church there. There is only one Church in heaven - Christ, the incarnate Son of God. This is that Church, that spiritual organism, that Body of Christ, of which we become members through the sacrament of Baptism and in which we live through the acceptance of its other (the Church's) sacraments, and through a responsible impulse to strive to fulfill the truth of God in our lives. The true Church of Christ is one. It cannot be divided in itself.

Now think about this obvious question: have the deepest thinkers, theologians, writers and cultural figures of Orthodoxy and Catholicism been in some kind of blindness and seduction for a thousand years, not noticing that what separates them is actually ephemeral, that it is just some kind of national - a cultural tradition that needs to be abandoned and united? On the contrary, we see that on both sides people of the deepest mental abilities and mystical gifts testified to the non-identity of the religious experience of Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Whatever choice you make in the end, because you are free to choose, but to accept this non-identity as something very serious will be the only responsible and honest approach.

In this sense, your desire to resort to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, while calling yourself Orthodox, again testifies to some ill-conceivedness, lack of maturity in your religious worldview. If we perceive the Church as a divine-human organism, the Body of Christ, and her Sacraments as sources of grace given to us by God Himself, if we take seriously the words of the Creed "I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church", then we will not have the thought of the celebration of any Sacrament outside the fence of this true Church. If you want to get married in a church simply because you like the way the wedding is shown in Western films, then such an impulse cannot be recognized as solid either by Orthodox or Catholics.

Therefore, when defining your Christian worldview, try to do it on the basis of an honest, unbiased, based on serious authoritative sources comparison of the dogma of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, think about which of them more fully, clearly, deeper, more uncomplicatedly conveys to us the apostolic tradition. In particular, the book Orthodoxy and Western Christianity and many other materials can help you with this. Look at the following similar questions on our website.

And then try to give yourself an account of whether you have come to the conclusion that the Pope of Rome is the vicar of Christ on earth, the successor of the prince of the apostles, the supreme high priest and the absolute head of the Universal Church, that he is the guarantor of church truth, and his creed and moral judgments expressed in a special way - ex cathedra (from the pulpit) - are infallible, and he alone is authorized by God to proclaim the truth in the final instance? That the Catholic teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son is truer than the original patristic teaching about the procession of the Holy Spirit only from the Father? Through careful analysis, have you come to the view that purgatory and indulgences are a necessary part of the Christian doctrine of salvation? Is the belief in the overdue merits of the saints the cornerstone of your worldview? And much more. If so, then your place in the Catholic Church, and then, without sharing this choice, I cannot but treat it with respect. And if you share the dogmas and dogma of Catholicism, then there is no reason to call yourself Orthodox. But if this is not the case, if you just aesthetically like the sound of the organ, the aesthetics of Catholic worship attracts you, a smooth-shaven priest is bigger than a bearded Russian priest, benches are bigger than standing for 2-3 hours in an Orthodox church, a circle of each other's circle of knowledgeable Catholic intellectuals of fullness , sometimes shoving Orthodox brothers and sisters under the side, then give yourself an account - is this a solid reason and a solid foundation for making a judgment about the True Church?

After all, we go to Church to God, and not to a smiling priest. To God, and not to a pleasant human community. To the true Church of Christ, and not where everyone will praise us, and where everyone will like us. And if, through reading church literature, through acquaintance with theology, church history, a person has come to the conclusion that the true Church of Christ is the Holy Orthodox Church, then can he be stopped when entering her fence by the infirmities of some of her parishioners, who are not completely reverently behaving at worship, or the decoration of several churches?

In itself, the fact of attending a non-Orthodox service is not something fundamentally unacceptable, if this is done by us for the purpose of cultural and educational, in order to familiarize ourselves with the non-Orthodox religious tradition, in this or that context of diplomatic or human relations with our colleagues, relatives or non-Orthodox friends. The canons of our Church in no way forbid Roman Catholics to visit Orthodox churches, to venerate Orthodox icons. To be present at a non-Orthodox service in order to prayerfully make up for what we allegedly lack at the service of the One True Church is to show disbelief in its truth and the fullness of the grace-filled gifts of God in it. And this, of course, would be a sin against the Church.

Therefore, communion in the Sacraments between Orthodox and Catholics is the only thing that is, of course, unacceptable. Mutual communion in the Sacraments is only the result of unity in faith. Agree that approaching the Chalice is possible only in the case of our complete religious doctrinal unanimity, common faith. No matter how close the creeds of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are in many respects, there are also quite fundamental doctrinal moments that divide us. Therefore, being honest in relation to one's faith and in relation to the Catholic faith, of course, it would be wrong to confess, take communion, and partake of other Sacraments in a Catholic church, realizing oneself Orthodox.

Concerning your embarrassment by the too magnificent decoration of the Orthodox church known to you, let us say the following. There are quite a lot of Orthodox churches, especially in big cities. And not all of them are built in the same architectural and artistic style. There are more strict, ascetic ones, there are also more elegant and well-decorated ones. There are such churches in the Orthodox world that the ambassadors of Prince Vladimir, having visited Sophia of Constantinople, said: it was as if we were not on earth, but in heaven.

Is it because you did not have the experience of calmness and peace of mind when visiting Orthodox churches, because you rarely went into them or did not try to look for a church where nothing would distract you from worship? In different churches, the decoration and the communities, the clergy and the traditions of church reading and singing will be different. To choose a temple to which you will constantly go, you can first go to one several times, then to another and listen to yourself - where the soul will feel at home. Try, having determined a specific time for yourself, to walk around different churches, of course, Moscow http://www.taday.ru/vopros/20162/308001.html, and not Kyiv http://www.taday.ru/vopros/20355 /24664.html of the patriarchate, pray there at divine services, listen to the sermons of the priests, confess, and stay where you feel at home, where the least external will distract you and hinder you in achieving the main goal of our earthly church life - finding the path to life in Christ. The temple that you internally like, where neither the manner of service, nor its pace, nor the sermon, nor the approach of the priests to confession, causes rejection, most often becomes for a person his church home.

I will point out only one here. Basically, all Orthodox parishes are the same. These are communities of believing people, Orthodox Christians, united around the Sacraments of the Church, around worship, under the leadership of the clergy of this parish, striving to learn to love God and love each other through church parish life. This is common and important. We have only one rule of worship. Of course, somewhere more, somewhere less, they sing differently, they read differently, but in principle one Divine Liturgy is served. The Sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated in every parish the same way. The One Lord comes to us in His Most Pure Body and Blood.

As for the wedding with the pronunciation of oaths according to the Catholic rite, it seems that this moment in the Western wedding rite does not contradict Orthodoxy in any way. This is just not the main thing that separates us. Yes, unfortunately, in our current form, the very promises of fidelity, love, care, concern for each other are excluded from the order of the Sacrament of Marriage in its current form, and this question, perhaps, should be proposed to the appropriate Synodal Liturgical Commission in order to supplement rank with these promises.

The main thing to remember, when striving to sanctify your union with the Wedding, is that the Wedding can be performed in the right way only on two people, believers and churchmen, who strive to create their family as a small Church, as a cell of a spiritual organism called the Church of Christ. This Sacrament, which should not be some kind of application to registration in the registry office: a beautiful tradition or a solemn ceremony. It should be preceded by a confession, a meeting and a conversation with a priest who would talk about what the Sacrament of Marriage is, what responsibility people take on themselves who seek to sanctify their union with a church blessing. After all, the desire for a wedding means that two people, namely two, and not just one, are ready to perceive their family as a small Church and will consciously strive to place God, His truth, the fulfillment of His commandments at the center of their family life. Therefore, what should not be done in any way is to encourage an unchurched young man to a church marriage. Even if he is ready to get married on a concession, for your sake, you should not do this. A wedding can only bless a marriage entered into by a family striving to become a small Church. Otherwise, it will be a profanity of the Sacrament. If people are not ready for churching, then it is better for them not to rush into the wedding. After all, we do not call a civil marriage registered in the registry office as fornication. It would be much more honest before God and conscience in this case to confine ourselves to civil law.

Those who decide to get married according to the Catholic rite should remember that there are a number of rules in accordance with which the sacrament of the wedding is performed.

Before the wedding

"When people decide to get married, they must come to the church at least three months before the expected date of the wedding," says the diocesan pastor of the families of the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese, Father Petr Anthony Belevich.

According to him, during this period (three months), the "young" undergo a kind of "special training", and there is even a special book that describes how 10 meetings with people preparing for the wedding should take place.

Nevertheless, "it happens that people come, for example, a month before the wedding, they say that they have already ordered a restaurant, a registry office, that they did not think, did not know, etc., but this is rather an exception. Today, most young people know about that you need to arrive early."

During these three months, future spouses are taught prayers ("Our Father", "To the Virgin Mary", "I Believe") and the basics of the Catholic faith, preparing for married life.

"This is very important. For example, we explain to future spouses what is in the Catholic faith strictly prohibited and it is a great sin to use any contraceptive. I emphasize - any, starting with the simplest, such as a condom, and ending with pills and spirals. When someone asks: "So we have to give birth and give birth without end?", then I say that there is a natural method of family planning, and we also explain this to young people.

Who is crowned

If the couple is "mixed", for example, one of the future spouses is Catholic and the other is Orthodox, then, according to Father Peter, there are no big problems in this case, since the religions are very close to each other.

"There is only one condition: the Catholic side must make a promise that they will baptize and raise children in the Catholic faith, and the Orthodox side must know that a Catholic has made such a promise."

In addition, you will need permission from the bishop to marry a "mixed" couple.

"This permission can almost always be obtained if there are no other problems," says Father Peter.

By the way, the priest who prepares the "young" is engaged in obtaining permission. There are special forms that the priest fills out in the presence of future spouses, and they must put their signatures under the promise to raise children (Catholic side) and under the notification of such a promise (Orthodox side), then the priest sends the documents to the bishop.

“If we are talking about an unbaptized person (it doesn’t matter who he is - a Muslim, a Jew or an atheist), then everything is a little more complicated: here you need special permission from the bishop and you need a serious approach. We always warn young people about the big difference in cultures. In general, such cases very few, practically non-existent.

Note that you can get married only after the conclusion of an official marriage.

When they get married

Speaking about when it is possible or impossible to get married, Father Peter noted that "as such, there are no restrictions, because the wedding is one of the sacraments and, like other sacraments, you can always accept it."

According to Father Peter, people themselves usually do not get married during fasts, although there are exceptions.

“Even if the priest agrees to marry the “young” in fasting, for example, if people have been living without a wedding for several years and have decided, as it were, to “legitimize” their relationship before God before Easter, then there is a very important point: in this case it is impossible to arrange wedding, that is, to celebrate this event (dance, have fun, etc.),” says Father Peter. If this condition is met, then you can get married on any day.

Who is not married

Newlyweds who are related (in a straight line), as well as those who are half-brother and sister, are not crowned. If cousins ​​are going to get married, then, according to Father Peter, "this can be done, but only in exceptional cases and for such a wedding, special permission from the bishop is required, which is almost never issued."

Also an obstacle to the wedding is the impotence of one of the spouses. “Not the fact of infertility, but precisely the inability to have sexual intercourse. Even if the “young” did not tell the priest about it, the wedding is considered invalid,” says Father Peter. By the way, the answers to this and other questions that are asked by the "young" before the wedding (separately for a man and a woman, as well as jointly) are recorded in a special protocol.

Naturally, the newlyweds, one of whom is already in another marriage, will not be married. Moreover, as Father Peter says, “there is no divorce (dethroning) in the Catholic Church, even if, for example, a person previously got married in the Orthodox Church, then divorced and even got married, he still cannot get married in the Catholic Church.” If a person was simply painted and then divorced, then you can get married, but you will need to provide a certificate of divorce.

Another obstacle to the wedding, which, according to Father Peter, "practically never occurs," is the murder of a husband's wife (husband's wife) in order to enter into a new marriage.

How is the wedding

As Father Peter says, "there is no one" scenario ": the ceremony depends on the priest and on the traditions adopted in the given area (city, village). For example, somewhere the father of the bride introduces her to the church, somewhere young come in together."

The wedding itself begins as a liturgy, the priest greets the young guests, then the first prayer is read, after which all those gathered listen to one or two fragments from the Bible and a short sermon in which the "young" are once again reminded of the duties of the spouses.

1. Did you come here voluntarily and freely want to enter into a marital union?

2. Are you ready to love and respect each other all your life?

3. Are you ready to lovingly receive children from God and raise them according to the teachings of Christ and the church? (This question is only for young couples).

If at least one of the questions one of the "young" answers "no", then the wedding is not held.

If the answer to all questions was "yes", the priest asks the Holy Spirit to descend on the spouses, the newlyweds shake hands with each other, and the priest ties them with a special ribbon, and they, standing facing each other, repeat (or say, if they know by heart) the words marital vow.

After that, the priest blesses the "young". As Father Peter says, "marriage is the only sacrament that people give to themselves: the husband - to his wife, and the wife - to her husband, the priest only blesses them."

Then the rings are consecrated (if any), the prayers "Our Father", the Intercessory Prayer are read, the ceremony ends with a blessing (usually the wedding takes no more than half an hour).

Interestingly, for the wedding wedding rings are optional. "In Catholicism there is a rite of consecration and putting on rings, but this is only an addition to the main rite - a mutual oath, that is, the words of receiving God's grace. The rings are a sign that the spouses have received this grace," says Father Peter.

A prerequisite for the wedding is the presence of two witnesses, who must be baptized people, and it does not matter - Orthodox or Catholic. During the ceremony, they stand behind the "young" and must hear everything that the priest says, as well as everything that the bride and groom say.

The wedding can, if desired, be held in one of three languages ​​(Belarusian, Polish and Russian).

Marriage plays an important role in the life of representatives of the Catholic Church. This Christian rite has been known since the 4th century AD. The concepts of “marriage” and “wedding”, in contrast to the Orthodox tradition, are actually identical with the wedding ceremony, therefore, along with the high responsibility of those who decide to go through the betrothal in the church, the preparation for the celebration is also very strict.

From the point of view of the Catholic Church, the sacrament is inherent in:

• holiness- binding two people with God;
• unity- union of spouses into one whole;
• indissolubility- the eternity of the marriage union even in the afterlife; divorce is possible in very rare cases.

Interesting! In Christianity, the family, that is, the church union of a man and a woman, is called the "small" or "house church."

Terms & Conditions

To adequately prepare for the wedding ceremony, Future spouses must meet several conditions:

• apply 3 months before the wedding to the clergyman of the parish where they intend to conduct the marriage ceremony;
• be in an officially registered marriage;
• undergo special premarital training.

You need to know the basic prayers and rituals of the Catholic Church:

• "Our Father";
• "Symbol of faith";
• "To the Virgin Mary";
• gospel commandments;
• 6 truths of faith;
• 5 church commandments;
• "Angel of the Lord";
• holy Rosary;
• the order of baptism;
• church sacraments;
• preparation at home for the sacrament of the sick;
• 5 conditions of the sacrament of reconciliation.

Training

At the first meeting with the priest, the young (they are also called the betrothed) agree on the procedure for passing special premarital courses to get acquainted with the Catholic foundations of marriage, family, and the role of spouses in raising children.

So, the Catholic Church is categorically against the use of any contraception and considers it a great sin. Only the physiological method of planning the birth of a child is acceptable.

The need for active participation in the life of the church, the observance of Christian commandments, and the introduction of children to the faith is discussed. Usually there are 10 such conversations.

Interesting! In the Catholic tradition, there is a custom, that is, young people inform their relatives and friends about their intention to marry.

The bride and groom must prepare and undergo the sacraments of confession and the Eucharist (communion), which are preceded by fasting.

Betrothal of young people of different faiths

The most common situation is when both spouses belong to the Catholic Church. In this case, there are no canonical obstacles for marriage. But it happens that one of them is a representative of another religion. In this case, there are a number of features during the wedding.

Catholic and Orthodox or Protestant

If one of the betrothed belongs to another Christian denomination (Orthodoxy, Protestantism), then permission for such a marriage is given by the bishop of the corresponding diocese.

Important! Catholicism also recognizes marriages performed in the Orthodox Church as legal.

The newlyweds make a promise to raise their future children in the Catholic faith. Information about the married couple and the signatures of the spouses under such a promise are entered in a special form.

Marriage with an unbaptized

If one of the spouses is unbaptized (atheist, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist), that is, does not belong to Christianity, then getting the permission of the bishop becomes much more difficult.

There is no canonical ban on such a marriage, but each case is considered individually. With the betrothed, the clergyman talks about the difference in cultures and the possible difficulties of such a union. The final decision rests with the bishop.

right time

The sacrament of the wedding according to the Catholic rite is performed almost all year round. Spouses themselves usually prefer to get married outside of fasting days, but there is no direct prohibition on this.

When entering into marriage during fasting, one should not arrange a loud celebration after the ceremony with a lot and noisy feast.

Church wedding bans

The sacrament of marriage is prohibited in the following cases:

1. those intending to enter into a church marriage are relatives (father and daughter, brother and sister) or half-brother and sister;
2. one of the possible spouses is already in a church marriage;
3. the physical impossibility of one of the spouses to perform marital duties, but infertility is not an obstacle to participation in the wedding;
4. the commission by one of the spouses of the murder of a husband or wife for the sake of entering into a new marriage;
5. the betrothed are cousins ​​(theoretically, such a union is possible with the permission of the bishop, but in practice it is issued in exceptional cases);
6. one of those wishing to marry is a clergyman or a monk (nun).

Even if the sacrament of the wedding was performed, and later the circumstances listed above became clear, the ceremony is considered invalid.


According to the Catholic Church, marriage is indissoluble. A marriage can only be canceled by the death of one of the spouses. In the Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox, there is no possibility of debunking. After a divorce (without a previous wedding), you must provide a certificate of divorce.

The documents

At the first meeting with the clergyman before preparing for the ceremony, future spouses should bring the following documents:

• the passport;
• baptismal certificate;
• Marriage certificate.

The last document that is issued after the completion of the training is a certificate of completion of special courses for newlyweds.

Ceremony in the church

There is no strictly regulated order of the rite, the same for all dioceses. It may differ depending on the area and the priest who conducts the wedding. However, a number of characteristic details still exist.

The ceremony is performed by a priest. On special occasions, a pious layman may replace him.

Start

Usually the wedding ceremony is held in the church. Usually, the bride is brought to the altar by her father or another man who has taken the responsibility of caring for her(uncle, elder brother). They are followed by little girls who scatter flower petals from a basket. At this time, the groom with witnesses and other guests is waiting for his future wife in the temple.

Less often, newlyweds enter the church together, holding hands. The bride is not required to wear a wedding dress, and the groom is not required to wear a suit. All that is required is the observance of neatness, corresponding to the solemnity of the sacrament. At the altar, the betrothed stand or sit on special chairs with cushions.

The Catholic tradition requires the participation of witnesses (up to three people on each side). Witnesses may belong to any Christian denomination. Bridesmaids are often dressed in identical dresses. A special role is given to a little girl from among the guests, who is dressed up in a wedding dress. It symbolizes purity, purity and spirituality of the future marriage.

Liturgy

The wedding ceremony is preceded by a liturgy, after which the priest reads small fragments from the Bible and delivers a sermon on the importance of church marriage, the role of each spouse in the family, and the need for careful upbringing of children.

Then there is a conversation between the wedding couple and the clergyman, during which he asks the future spouses questions about the presence of any obstacles to marriage:

• Have you come to the temple voluntarily, and is your desire to enter into a legal marriage sincere and free?
• Are you ready to be faithful to each other in sickness and health, in happiness and in misfortune, until the end of your life?
• Do you have the intention to lovingly and gratefully accept the children that God will send you and raise them according to the teachings of the church?

These questions make it possible to ascertain the sincere and free desire of the young, their Christian view of the sacrament of the wedding and family ties.

Vows and betrothal

If the young people answered yes to all questions, the priest asks the Holy Spirit to descend on the spouses. They give each other hands, which the priest ties together with a ribbon. Then the newlyweds, standing face to face, read their marriage vows and take a vow of fidelity. The groom does it first, followed by the bride. Often they supplement them with their own words about love, gratitude to relatives and friends.

Interesting! Earlier in the Catholic Church, there was a custom to decorate the gates of the temple with metal ringing objects to attract good luck to the future family.

After the oath, the main witness of the groom gives him wedding rings, the groom puts the ring on the bride's ring finger, and she puts it on the groom. The priest says the prayer "Our Father", the Intercessory Prayer and blesses the newlyweds. Newly made spouses sign in the accounting church book.


Wedding rings are not a mandatory attribute of a wedding in Catholicism. In their presence, the clergyman conducts the rite of consecration. Rings are an addition to the ceremony itself, which symbolize the fidelity of the newlyweds and their receipt of grace.

In most Catholic countries: France, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, the ring is traditionally worn on the ring finger of the left hand. On the right hand, a wedding ring is worn in Poland, Austria, Spain, Argentina.

The whole sacrament of the wedding takes about half an hour in duration.

Useful video

- one of the most beautiful, important and tender sacraments. To visualize the beauty of the Catholic rite, watch a short video:

Conclusion

The wedding ceremony in the life of believing Catholics occupies a special place, because it is held only once in a lifetime. Knowledge of all accepted traditions allows this sacrament to be performed in accordance with the church canon and make it special. In Catholicism, it is also customary to solemnly celebrate the first anniversary of marriage. The couple take part in the liturgy, celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist and re-pronounce their vows.