Wedding ceremony in the Orthodox and Catholic churches. wedding in catholic church

complete collection and description: Catholic wedding prayer for the spiritual life of a believer.

A wedding is one of the most important Christian sacraments. It is believed that through this rite God gives his grace future family guiding the spouses to live according to the canons Christian faith and raise children in godliness.

In recent years, more and more young people are returning to the church, preferring not to be limited to dry civil registration of marriage. But, of course, you need to understand that the sacrament is not carried out so that you receive beautiful photos from the wedding or were able to show off in a beautiful outfit. The wedding process is full deep meaning so you have to take it very seriously.

Basic rules of the wedding ceremony in the church

Let's start with the fact that the church is not allowed to get married more than three times. In the Catholic faith, the situation is even stricter. To obtain permission for remarriage, you need, firstly, to wait a very long time, and, secondly, it is not a fact that it will be given.

Witnesses or guarantors, as they used to be called, are required for a wedding as in Orthodox church, and in the Catholic. However, according to the Orthodox wedding rules, only believing people baptized in Orthodoxy can be taken as witnesses. The same applies, in fact, to the bride and groom. If one of them is an atheist or considers himself a different faith, then the priest has the right not to bless such a marriage.

wedding in Orthodox Church is not held during the four main fasts, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, before major religious holidays, and also between Christmas and Christmas time. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are very rare and require special permission.

Another unspoken rule is connected with the answer to the question of what a wedding is and why it is needed. This is not a fun activity. And the sacrament of the Church, during which the main thing is church prayer. And the future spouses, and their parents, and guests should pray together with the priest, behave decently, in no case stand with their backs to the iconostasis, do not walk around the hall, do not make noise, do not allow the ringing mobile phones. The ceremony lasts about an hour. And with its essence, it can affect the whole future life of the spouses.

What do you need for a wedding?

So, let's think about what is needed for the wedding ceremony.

First of all, you should prepare yourself. As Orthodox Christians, you must confess and take communion. Approximately 3 days before the sacrament, eat fast food. You go to communion on an empty stomach. Fasting in this case is very important process. It will not be superfluous to attend all services for the last week. Still, a wedding is not just a marriage registration in a secular institution. You give yourself to each other before God and people. Therefore, it is worth taking the ceremony and preparation for the wedding in the church very seriously. So that the sacrament does not become just a wedding formality.

For a church wedding existing rules you need to have with you:

• two icons - the Savior for the male side and Mother of God for women. These icons are needed for blessing during the sacrament. The ideal option would be if the images are yours family inheritance. In the absence of these icons can be purchased specially. This may be the icon of the Lord Almighty, the image of the Virgin "Kazan" or "Vladimir". Wedding icons are brought to the church by the parents of the bride or groom. If for some reason they are not going to be present at the wedding, then young people or witnesses can take them with them.
• wedding rings. Today, gold items are predominantly used. But this is completely optional. The main thing in them is symbolism, not value. According to the rules, the wedding ceremony should have different rings for the bride and groom. For example, gold for a man and silver for a woman. The first symbolizes the sun, the second - the moon. According to another version, the rings reflect the meaning of the wedding, which was described by the Apostle Paul. The sacrament reflects the unity of Christ and the Church. Unfortunately, in our time, couples often do not pay attention to the church charter and buy the same wedding rings. However, if you decide to follow all the rules, take care of this.
• wedding candles. Do not confuse them with wedding ones and do not buy in advance in secular stores. Candles are purchased at the temple. Sometimes they are decorated, but usually they look rather modest. After the sacrament, the young people take the candles home and keep them all their lives.
• a white towel during the ceremony is laid under the feet of the future spouses. It represents a long and happy family path with God's blessing. The fabric may have beautiful embroidery or an embossed pattern. But only white color. The towel is also kept at home after the wedding. The towel should not be very large, but at the same time, so that the bride and groom do not press against each other, but stand freely on it.
• do not forget about what documents are needed for a church wedding. First of all, grab your passports and marriage certificate. Sometimes a certificate from the registry office is enough if the church ceremony takes place before civil registration.

Here are all the attributes that you should take care of when preparing for the wedding.

Wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church

The wedding is preceded by betrothal, performed at the end of the divine liturgy. Previously, these two rites were separated by time. And betrothal could be carried out even a year before the wedding. Today the two sacraments are perceived as two parts of one.

In advance, the rings are given to the minister of the church and in the process of the liturgy are on the throne in the altar. Then the deacon takes the rings and places them on a special tray. The priest blesses the bride and groom three times, passing them already lit wedding candles. According to the church charter, candles are part of the ceremony only for the first time. That is, for a second or third marriage, you will not need them.

next step Orthodox priest leads the young to the temple for betrothal. First, he takes the groom's ring and, making the sign of the cross three times, says: the servant of God (name) is betrothed to the servant of God (name). The ring is then placed on the groom's ring finger. Interestingly, the tradition ring finger associated with the erroneous opinion of our distant ancestors about the structure of the human circulatory system. It used to be that it was from here that the main artery goes to the heart.

After the ring is put on the finger of the future spouse, it is the bride's turn. The rite is repeated exactly.

Three is a symbolic number in the sacrament. Almost all actions are repeated three times. The bride and groom exchange their rings three times, confirming their readiness to love each other, to be faithful and devoted.

The priest turns to the Lord, asking for blessings and confirmation of the betrothal.

So, the engagement took place. And the couple solemnly passes into the middle of the temple. A priest with a censer always walks in front of them. This path symbolizes the pious path that future spouses must follow, keeping God's commandments.

Chin of wedding

Young people stand on a towel, which spreads right under their feet, in front of the lectern. This is a quadrangular table directly in front of the iconostasis, on which the Gospel, the cross and crowns are placed in the order that is convenient for the priest during the ceremony. Those who are getting married in front of the whole church, both God and people, confirm their free will and pure desire to marry without bad thoughts and indicate that they are not on the side of it or have no other promise. They answer the questions of the priest in monosyllables sincerely.

The next part of the ceremony is called the wedding ceremony. The priest says three traditional prayers addressed to the Triune God. Then he takes the crown and, after the sign of the cross, gives the groom to kiss the image of Christ on the crown. At the same time, the following words are pronounced:

“The servant of God (the name of the rivers) is married to the servant of God (the name of the rivers) in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

The bride is blessed in the same way. The laying on of crowns ends with the words:

“Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor!”

They are spoken three times. And all guests and young people should repeat this prayer to themselves. Not aloud, but with piety, prayer, humility and indispensable joy. In general, it must be said that it is impossible to attend the wedding in a bad mood or with envy in the heart. If you do not feel very well, it is better not to spoil the holiday for the young with your gloomy mood.

Crowns are placed on the heads of the couple. Personifying that in marriage, husband and wife are for each other nothing but the king and queen. Further, the crowns, without lowering, are held over the heads of the bride and groom by witnesses.

The priest reads the chapters of the Gospel. And then, together with the heroes of the occasion and those present, he sings the most important Orthodox prayer"Our Father". Undoubtedly, the bride and groom must know it by heart.

Young people are given to drink wine from a common cup. It means their community, and wine - the joy and fun of the holiday. As the head of the family, the husband takes three sips first.

Having joined the hands of the young, the priest covers them with an stole - a long ribbon from his vestments - and circles the center of the temple around the lectern three times. The circular procession also has its own symbolic meaning. This is the never-ending path that a husband and wife will walk together through life.

The bride and groom return to the towel, and the priest removes their crowns. This is followed by closing prayers and words of welcome. The couple exchange modest kisses. At the end, the young people are brought to the iconostasis, where the husband should kiss the image of the Savior, and the wife - the image of the Virgin. The wedding ceremony ends with the kissing of the cross and the presentation of a pair of icons of the Savior and the Virgin.

Now parents and guests can congratulate the newlyweds. Of course, parents are the first to do it. The wedding ceremony took place. The guests form a corridor at the exit of their temple, through which a couple passes, holding icons in front of them.

wedding in catholic church

The Catholic wedding ceremony differs significantly from the Orthodox one. Firstly, the couple must come to the church and announce their desire no less than three months before the wedding, if there are no conditions for an urgent marriage.

It often happens that in a couple, one is a Catholic, and the other is Orthodox. The Catholic Church allows such marriages. But the Orthodox must give a promise and sign a certain paper that will not interfere with the upbringing of children as pious Catholics.

Catholics do not have a strict wedding ceremony. Its conduct largely depends on the traditions of a particular parish. Usually the process begins as an ordinary liturgy. The priest reads chapters from the Bible and delivers a rather short sermon in which, in a free style, he explains to the young people what the duties of the spouses in the family are.

Next, the priest asks three questions about the free desire to marry, the willingness to love a spouse all his life and raise children, guided by the teachings of Christ. After the answers, the rector of the church ties the wrists of the bride and groom with a ribbon. The young exchange rings, which are passed to the groom by a witness. The Lord's Prayer and Intercessory Prayer are read. And after the words “I pronounce you husband and wife,” the newly-born spouse kisses his betrothed.

As for the wedding attire, both in the Catholic and Orthodox churches the bride is expected in beautiful dress and the groom in a suit. However, these conditions are optional. The main thing is that your appearance is neat and consistent with the solemnity of the moment. In the Orthodox Church, the head of the bride, like any other woman in the church, must be covered with a scarf or veil. And, of course, we must not forget about pectoral crosses.

Catholic wedding ceremony - features and traditions

Catholic wedding ceremony no less interesting, beautiful and mysterious than the Orthodox. Catholic wedding differs from ours, the orthodox one, and it has a slightly different role in the life of Catholic society. After all, Catholics do not separate the concepts of ‘wedding’ and ‘marriage’, they are equivalent, since marriage is legalized by a priest in the presence of witnesses once and for all.

Many people participate in the Catholic wedding ceremony. For example, the bride and groom may have several witnesses on each side, usually up to three. The ceremony looks very impressive, when three witnesses in the same beautiful outfits stand next to the bride in a magnificent wedding dress.

One of the main "roles" assigned father of the bride. It is he who brings the bride into the temple and leads arm in arm through the whole church to the altar along a beautiful decorated path, where the groom is waiting for them, and as if “transfers” her from his paternal hands to new hands, on which parents place the hopes of a happy married life your child. From now on, it is the husband who will take care of their beloved daughter, will be responsible for her future. It should be noted that this is one of the most touching moments! If the bride does not have a father, his role is played by another person who has taken on the responsibility of caring for her: an older brother, uncle, sometimes even the husband's father.

Another of the significant characters of the Catholic wedding can be little girl(or several girls and boys), dressed in scarlet Wedding Dress. The little girl becomes the decoration of the ceremony, she displays the image of ‘innocence’, ‘virginity’ – pure spirituality.

At this time, the witnesses are placed side by side on two sides of the wedding. The priest stands in front of them. The rest of the invitees sit on the benches.

Often the bride and groom sit down on specially prepared chairs with small cushions.

And so the ceremony begins - it is conducted by catholic clergyman, rarely a layman. He says opening remarks, reads prayers and communes the young. The question is necessarily voiced: Is there someone or some reasons that can prevent marriage.

Next, the bride and groom give each other vow of allegiance, an oath, often said prepared beautiful words- words of gratitude, love. The main witness betrays to the groom the rings that are exchanged by those who are getting married. They sign in the church book.

After that, if no one interfered with the marriage, if everything was carried out strictly according to the traditions and rules of the wedding, the wedding took place.

Catholic wedding held on any day except 40 days before Catholic Easter and 4 weeks before Catholic Christmas.

Before the wedding, Catholics prepare and improve their knowledge of the ‘main postulate’, attend special courses, classes that can last several months. As in Orthodoxy, on the eve of the wedding, they must confess.

Catholics do not allow marriage, if:

• One of the applicants is already married;
• One of the spouses is a monk/nun;
• One of the spouses is a Muslim.

The last point is especially interesting. Indeed, earlier Catholicism allowed marriage only between Catholics, but today marriage is allowed between a Catholic and an unbeliever, a Catholic and an Orthodox, but not with a Muslim / Muslim woman. If we take a marriage between an Orthodox and a Catholic, then according to the teachings of the Pope, the wedding can take place both in the church and in the Orthodox church. But in later life It is recommended to raise children according to Catholic traditions.

Concerning, divorces then they are not allowed. True, they can find a loophole in the form of a violation of any canon during the wedding ceremony. So a spiritual Catholic marriage can only be broken by the death of one of the spouses, otherwise Catholics can leave and live in different places, but the marriage is not broken.

But let's not talk about sad things, I would like to wish both Catholics and Orthodox an unforgettable wedding ceremony and no less spiritual living together further! Be happy together!

Wedding in the Catholic Church: the rules, how it goes, video

The rules of wedding in the Catholic Church are significantly different from the Orthodox. And although both confessions pursue the same goal - to unite the young couple in the face of God and ask for grace to be given to the newlyweds - this happens in different ways. However, we will not delve into theological reasoning, but simply try to note the main, most significant stages of the solemn Catholic ceremony.

wedding conditions

As with the performance of the Orthodox sacrament or civil registration, the strict norms of Catholicism require that both spouses at the time of marriage be of age and be "of sound mind and sober memory"; that is, they were accountable for their actions. Occasionally, in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the parents, they can marry a couple who have not reached the age of majority, but this is done very reluctantly. By the way, unlike the same Orthodoxy for adult bride and groom, parental blessing is not an indispensable condition for marriage, the will of the young themselves is enough.

They will refuse a Catholic wedding and blood relatives, and those who have already managed to enter into a marriage union with a third party. To prevent possible misunderstandings and speculations on this topic, the bride and groom will be asked to bring a certificate of marriage registration in a state organization.

But the belonging of one of the young to Orthodoxy, Islam or Judaism will not become an obstacle. However, the spouse will have to obtain special permission to marry and give a written promise that children born in such a union will be raised in the Catholic faith.

Training

After the wedding in the Catholic Church, divorce is impossible in principle, and the family union is considered eternal, having equal force in this life and the next. In the worst case, the marriage can be annulled if the ceremony was performed with serious violations or one of the spouses concealed from the companion important information- for example, about hereditary disease which he can pass on to his children. That is why, a few weeks before the ceremony, the priest in without fail conducts several conversations with the young, in which he tries to inspire the future husband and wife with the idea of ​​​​the importance of the step they are taking and explain the basics family life from the standpoint of the Catholic Church. Keep in mind that they are allowed to get married only if there is a document indicating that the necessary conversations have been held!

• A paper with a baptismal certificate for each of the newlyweds, if both profess the Catholic faith.
• First Communion Certificate.
• Marriage form with a request and permission to marry, issued to the young in the church and marked with the seal of the bishop.
• Finally, both newlyweds must know by heart the prayers to the Lord, the Virgin Mary and “I believe”; go to confession and take communion. Only then are they ready to stand before the altar.

The order and general rules of the solemn ceremony

If you have seen how a Catholic wedding takes place, then you probably did not lose sight of the exciting and beautiful moment when the bride's father brings his daughter to the altar, symbolically handing her over to the cares and protection of her husband. After this moment, the girl leaves the parental authority and becomes part of a new family.

Witnesses of the bride and groom three people on each side - they take their places near the future spouses, the guests sit on the benches. Usually, the newlyweds also have small chairs on which they will sit during the common prayer and introductory sermon.

Having said the necessary prayers and communed the newlyweds, the priest will ask three main questions:

• Did the bride and groom come to the ceremony of their own free will?
• Are you ready to give each other love and loyalty for the rest of your life?
• Are you ready to raise the children sent to them by God in care and according to the rules established by Christ?

Hearing a triple “yes” in response, the priest will ask if anyone present knows the reasons why this union cannot be concluded, and then he will say prayers for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the young couple. The bride and groom will exchange solemn vows, seal their union with rings and signatures in the church register, and the priest publicly declares the couple husband and wife. After that, the wedding is considered accomplished, and the union is indestructible - only the death of one of the spouses can break it.

To visualize the beauty of the ceremony, look short video weddings in the Catholic Church.

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No less interesting, beautiful and mysterious than the Orthodox. A Catholic wedding is different from our orthodox one, and it has a slightly different role in the life of Catholic society. After all, Catholics do not separate the concepts of ‘wedding’ and ‘marriage’, they are equivalent, since marriage is legalized by a priest in the presence of witnesses once and for all.

Many people participate in the Catholic wedding ceremony. For example, the bride and groom may have several witnesses on each side, usually up to three. The ceremony looks very impressive, when three witnesses in identical beautiful outfits are standing next to the bride.

One of the main "roles" assigned father of the bride. It is he who introduces the bride into the temple and leads arm in arm through the whole church to the altar along a beautiful decorated path, where the groom is waiting for them, and as if “transfers” her from his paternal hands to new hands, on which parents place their hopes for a happy married life of their child. From now on, it is the husband who will take care of their beloved daughter, will be responsible for her future. It is worth noting that this is one of the most touching moments! If the bride does not have a father, his role is played by another person who has taken on the responsibility of caring for her: an older brother, uncle, sometimes even the husband's father.

Another of the significant characters of the Catholic wedding can be little girl(or several girls and boys), dressed in a scarlet wedding dress. The little girl becomes the decoration of the ceremony, she displays the image of ‘innocence’, ‘virginity’ – pure spirituality.

At this time, the witnesses are placed side by side on two sides of the wedding. The priest stands in front of them. The rest of the invitees sit on the benches.

Often the bride and groom sit down on specially prepared chairs with small cushions.

And so the ceremony begins - it is conducted by catholic clergyman, rarely a layman. He says introductory words, reads prayers and communes the young. The question is necessarily voiced: Is there someone or some reasons that can prevent marriage.

Next, the bride and groom give each other vow of allegiance, often prepared beautiful words are spoken - words of gratitude, love. The main witness betrays to the groom the rings that are exchanged by those who are getting married. They sign in the church book.

After that, if no one interfered with the marriage, if everything was carried out strictly according to the traditions and rules of the wedding, the wedding took place.

Interesting Facts.

Catholicwedding held on any day except 40 days before Catholic Easter and 4 weeks before Catholic Christmas.

Before the wedding, Catholics prepare and improve their knowledge of the ‘main postulate’, attend special courses, classes that can last several months. As in Orthodoxy, on the eve of the wedding, they must confess.

Catholics do not allow marriage, if:

• One of the applicants is already married;
• One of the spouses is a monk/nun;
• One of the spouses is a Muslim.

The last point is especially interesting. Indeed, earlier Catholicism allowed marriage only between Catholics, but today marriage is allowed between a Catholic and an unbeliever, a Catholic and an Orthodox, but not with a Muslim / Muslim woman. If we take a marriage between an Orthodox and a Catholic, then according to the teachings of the Pope, the wedding can take place both in the church and in the Orthodox church. But in later life it is recommended to raise children according to Catholic traditions.

Concerning, divorces then they are not allowed. True, they can find a loophole in the form of a violation of any canon during the wedding ceremony. So a spiritual Catholic marriage can only be broken by the death of one of the spouses, otherwise Catholics can leave and live in different places, but the marriage is not broken.

But let's not talk about sad things, I would like to wish both Catholics and Orthodox an unforgettable wedding ceremony and no less spiritual life together in the future! Be happy together!

catholic wedding

catholic wedding
"People meet, people fall in love, get married." And today, weddings have come into fashion, as required attribute celebrations. Love comes suddenly, and it’s so common that we don’t choose our soul mate by religion, therefore situations often arise when young people confess different religions. And what if the bride is Orthodox and the groom is Catholic?
Catholics have a slightly different attitude towards the sacrament of the wedding. The concepts of "wedding" and "wedding", they are not separable. Without fail, a Catholic wedding ceremony must take place, but also state registration marriage has not been cancelled. What if your significant other wants to get married, and only according to the Catholic rite Let's dwell on this in more detail. It is possible to single out the main features of the Catholic wedding ceremony.
Both the groom and the bride may have not one, but several witnesses (usually up to three). At the same time, one of them must be a Catholic. If there are persons of a different religion among the witnesses, on the eve of the ceremony they must be explained the basic ritual requirements of a Catholic wedding.
Before a Catholic wedding, a day or two beforehand, a small rehearsal is necessarily held, where the clergyman explains how the ceremony will take place and tells the spouses where they should stand and what to say.
An important role in the Catholic wedding is given to the father of the bride. He leads her by the arm into the temple and leads her to the altar along a beautifully decorated path, where the groom is waiting.
During the ceremony, the veil or long train of the bride's dress is supported by a girl walking nearby, aged 3-5 years, always dressed in a scarlet or white wedding dress. If the bride's outfit does not involve a train and a long veil, then this little companion can simply walk alongside, showering the passage to the altar with rose petals.
It should be noted that according to Catholic customs, young people must carefully prepare for the wedding ceremony. Often, during the previous 6 months, young people must attend church classes, in which they are prepared for the sacrament of marriage, and on the eve of the Catholic wedding, confess. There is an opinion among Orthodox laity that the Catholic Church does not allow marriage with people of another religion. According to Orthodox canons, a clergyman can refuse to perform a ceremony for young people only in 3 cases: 1) if one of the newlyweds is already married; 2) if one of the marrying monks or nuns; 3) if one of the spouses is a Muslim. The dogma regarding the non-acceptance of marriage with persons of another religion arose as a result of the existing prohibition. However, in last years it was allowed between a Catholic and a non-believer.
When deciding on a Catholic wedding ceremony, one should also take into account the fact that a spiritual Catholic marriage cannot be broken. In this sense, the Orthodox Church is more liberal and allows the possibility of divorce in some cases. In addition, unlike the Orthodox Church, where the wedding is not performed on the days of fasting, church holidays etc. a Catholic wedding can take place on any day. The exception is the 40-day period before the Catholic Easter, as well as the 4-week period before the Catholic Christmas
Strict requirements are imposed on the wedding dress of the bride, who decided on the ceremony of a Catholic wedding, as well as an Orthodox one. Firstly, it is better to choose a dress in light colors. It can be classic white, or ivory, as well as "champagne". Acceptable, may be beige, pink or blue shades. You should not choose bright, flashy colors for a dress for a Catholic wedding. It should be remembered that Catholics are mostly conservative people, and in a bright outfit, the bride will become the object of increased attention to her own person and may face disapproving looks from others. Besides, bright colours at the wedding, not all girls go. Secondly, it should be recalled that the length of the wedding dress should be at least below the knees, in addition Bottom part Dresses should not be overly revealing. You should not choose styles with cuts that unnecessarily open the legs. If a top part dress is low-cut, it should be supplemented with a cape. For romantic natures, you should choose a wedding dress with a train, and in order to be comfortable in it, there must be an inconspicuous loop on the train that you can put on your finger. It is better for a bride at a Catholic wedding to choose an elegant veil as a headdress.

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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" go through 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 booked 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, in this case big problems No, because 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 (whether he is a Muslim, a Jew or an atheist), 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 of cultures. In general, such cases are very few, practically do not happen.

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, you can’t have a wedding, that is, 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 in kinship(in a straight line), as well as those who are half-brother and sister. 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 a person, for example, 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 wife by a husband (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 conduct of 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).

The rules of wedding in the Catholic Church are significantly different from the Orthodox. And although both confessions pursue the same goal - to unite the young couple in the face of God and ask for grace to be given to the newlyweds - this happens in different ways. However, we will not delve into theological reasoning, but simply try to note the main, most significant stages of the solemn Catholic ceremony.

wedding conditions

As with the performance of the Orthodox sacrament or civil registration, the strict norms of Catholicism require that both spouses at the time of marriage be of age and be "of sound mind and sober memory"; that is, they were accountable for their actions. Occasionally, in exceptional circumstances and with the permission of the parents, they can marry a couple who have not reached the age of majority, but this is done very reluctantly. By the way, unlike the same Orthodoxy for adult bride and groom, parental blessing is not an indispensable condition for marriage, the will of the young themselves is enough.

They will refuse a Catholic wedding and blood relatives, and those who have already managed to enter into a marriage union with a third party. To prevent possible misunderstandings and speculations on this topic, the bride and groom will be asked to bring a certificate of marriage registration in a state organization.

But the belonging of one of the young to Orthodoxy, Islam or Judaism will not become an obstacle. However, the spouse will have to obtain special permission to marry and give a written promise that children born in such a union will be raised in the Catholic faith.

Training

After the wedding in the Catholic Church, divorce is impossible in principle, and the family union is considered eternal, having equal force in this life and the next. In the worst case, the marriage can be annulled if the ceremony was performed with serious violations or one of the spouses withheld important information from the companion - for example, about a hereditary disease that he can pass on to children. That is why, a few weeks before the ceremony, the priest without fail conducts several conversations with the young, in which he tries to inspire the future husband and wife with the idea of ​​the importance of the step they are taking and explain the basics of family life from the position of the Catholic Church. Keep in mind that they are allowed to get married only if there is a document indicating that the necessary conversations have been held!

In addition, you will need:

• A paper with a baptismal certificate for each of the newlyweds, if both profess the Catholic faith.
• First Communion Certificate.
• Marriage form with a request and permission to marry, issued to the young in the church and marked with the seal of the bishop.
• Finally, both newlyweds must know by heart the prayers to the Lord, the Virgin Mary and “I believe”; go to confession and take communion. Only then are they ready to stand before the altar.

The order and general rules of the solemn ceremony

If you have seen how a Catholic wedding takes place, then you probably did not lose sight of the exciting and beautiful moment when the bride's father brings his daughter to the altar, symbolically handing her over to the cares and protection of her husband. After this moment, the girl leaves the parental authority and becomes part of a new family.

Witnesses of the bride and groom - up to three people on each side - take their places near the future spouses, the guests sit on the benches. Usually, the newlyweds also have small chairs on which they will sit during the common prayer and introductory sermon.

Having said the necessary prayers and communed the newlyweds, the priest will ask three main questions:

• Did the bride and groom come to the ceremony of their own free will?
• Are you ready to give each other love and loyalty for the rest of your life?
• Are you ready to raise the children sent to them by God in care and according to the rules established by Christ?

Hearing a triple “yes” in response, the priest will ask if anyone present knows the reasons why this union cannot be concluded, and then he will say prayers for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the young couple. The bride and groom will exchange solemn vows, seal their union with rings and signatures in the church register, and the priest publicly declares the couple husband and wife. After that, the wedding is considered accomplished, and the union is indestructible - only the death of one of the spouses can break it.

To visualize the beauty of the ceremony, watch a short video of a wedding in a Catholic church.