Marriage as for the good of each other and the good of society … The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that marriage by it’s very nature is “ordered to the good of the couple, as well as to the generation and education of children” (CCC 1660). Marriage is the foundation on which our society has its foundations. The future of society and its relationship to the one true good that is God depends on the concept marriage and family life.
A lifelong exclusive commitment … through marriage a husband and wife give themselves completely to one another. They promise to love each other freely, truly, fruitfully and faithfully for the rest of their lives, through good times and bad. They go on to express this through their sexual union which brings them intimately closer together, and by the grace of God, their relationship grows beyond themselves and they build a home for family and a place of Christian welcome.
A sign of Christ’s radical love … The love shown between a Christian husband and wife becomes a sign of the radical love shown by Christ in his life, death and resurrection. Christian marriage is not just an expression of human affection, it is a sacrament of the love of Christ, a way for husband and wife to minister to each other and to their children. And in this way the Christian family becomes a place where others can see the beauty and power of Christ’s redeeming love, a love that is often obscured in our fallen world. This is why marriage is a Christian vocation.
Christian marriage is a sacrament, a vocation, and if you choose to be married it will be a sign of your love for Christ as much as of your love for another person. But it is not the kind of call that pulls you away from your natural hopes and expectations. Marriage is not easier to live than other vocations, but it is easier to explain. If you long to be married, and there are no other big pulls in your life, then you should be at peace about seeking a husband or wife.
The story of Adam and Eve, at the very beginning of the Bible, pictures how God made man and woman for each other, and for the future and flourishing of the human race. The Rite of Celebrating Matrimony celebrates married life as ‘established as the one blessing that was not forfeited by original sin or washed away in the flood’, suggesting it was part of our original way of life in Paradise. We were not created to be alone.
The Marriage Rites of the Church celebrate the vows. The couple continue to celebrate the sacrament day in day out in their life together and in their family. So the minister of the sacrament is not the priest or deacon who officiates, but the couple themselves.
The answer to this question depends on your individual circumstances. A divorcee whose former spouse has died is free to marry. Some divorcees apply to the church for an ‘annulment’ of their marriage: after investigation of the circumstances of the marriage and what happened in the breakdown of the relationship, the Church may sometimes declare a marriage ‘null’. This means it was not a true marriage with full freedom and commitment on both sides at the time of the wedding. This is not a divorce declaring a marriage is over; it is a declaration that there never was a true marriage, the ceremony was ‘nullified’ by the incomplete participation or commitment of the couple, so the partners are still free to wed.
A Baptised Catholic is free to marry a baptised Christian of another denomination, with a dispensation from his or her priest. The Catholic partner is asked to commit themselves to do their best to maintain their catholic faith, and to pass on the faith to their children.
With a dispensation from the Bishop, a baptised Catholic is free to marry a person who has not been baptised or belongs to anther religion. The Catholic partner is asked to commit themselves to do their best to maintain their catholic faith, and to pass on the faith to their children. The priest who prepares you for marriage can arrange the dispensation.
Sacraments are celebrations of the love of God in our lives, which is always a free gift we can never earn or buy.
However the Church building needs to be maintained, lit, and heated for the ceremony, and all year round to be there for when you want it for your wedding so a donation is suggested.
Also the people who make the wedding, musicians, florists, Registrar, and the priest or deacon all give of their time, talents and qualifications, at the service and before. Some, such as the Registrar or the organist, have their regular scale of charges of which they will inform you.
Before arranging any dates for receptions or honeymoon, you should approach the priest of the parish you live in (and also the priest of the church you hope to be married in if that is not the parish where you are living) to fix dates and times, and begin the spiritual and liturgical preparations. You will then need to book the date with your local Registrar of births, deaths and marriage.
If you wish to enter into Marriage in one of our churches please
