Sacrament of Matrimony
1. It is the matrimonial covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a
partnership of the whole life.
2. This partnership is ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education
of offspring.
3. This covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a
sacrament.
(CCC 1601)
Etymology of Matrimony
- matrimony” comes from the Latin term matrimonium. This word means “marriage,”
- comes from two other Latin terms, mater and –monium.
- Mater means “mother.”
–Monium is a suffix meaning “action,” “state,” or “condition.”
- So matrimonium, means “mother-making” or “the condition of motherhood.”
- So, when a man and a woman unite in “matrimony,” they are preparing to make a new mother by
having kids.
- marriage is ordered toward procreation & family
Qualities of Marriage
1. Unity
2. Fidelity
3. Indissolubility
MATTER
- Mutual Consent and Covenant to live together as husband and wife and the consummation
of the Marriage
FORM
- Couple: The "I do", by which both spouses indicate their mutual consent to the marriage
covenant
- I, [name], take you, [name] to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times
and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
MINISTERS
- officiated by priest , bishop, or deacon
- the couple themselves give the sacrament to each other
Who can get married?
- Baptized Christians who are free to marry
What is necessary to receive the sacrament of Matrimony worthily?
- in the state of grace
- to know the duties of married life,
- and to obey the marriage laws of the Church.
- For we are children of the saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens
that know not God. (Tobias 8:5)
What must one undergo before the Sacrament of Matrimony?
- pre Cana Seminar
- pre sacramental catechesis on the meaning of Christian life and the responsibilities of
Christian Spouses
- Sacrament of Reconciliation
Requirements:
a. Marriage license.
b. Baptismal and confirmation certificates (6 months validity).
c. Latest Copy of PSA birth certificate and Certificate of No Record of Marriage (CENOMAR).
d. Canonical interview.
e. Pre-Cana/Marriage preparation seminar.
f. Marriage Banns. These are written wedding announcements that will be posted on the bulletin
boards of the couple’s respective parishes.
g. List of principal sponsors and entourage members (a.k.a. “ninongs” and “ninangs”).
h. Wedding or marriage permit.
ii. Confession.
In whose presence do the laws of the Church require a Catholic to be married?
- the parish priest, or the bishop of the diocese, or a priest delegated by either of
them,
- two witnesses.
FLOW OF CEREMONY
Introductory Rites
Catholic weddings begin with an opening prayer by the priest, naming the couple and asking for
God's blessings on their wedding day.
Liturgy Of The Word
The readers (often family members) read Biblical passages selected by you and preapproved by the
priest, followed by a short sermon about marriage given by the priest.
Rite Of Marriage
The entire congregation stands as the couple takes their vows, declaring their commitment to each
other. Actual vows vary between churches, but the basic wording is: "I (groom's/bride's name),
take you (bride's/groom's name) to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times,
in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life." The priest then blesses
the couple, joins their hands together, and asks, "Do you take (bride's/groom's name) as your
lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer
or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"
Exchange Of Rings
After the couple (hopefully) responds, "I do," to the vows, the best man gives the bride's ring to the
priest, who blesses it and hands it to the groom to place on the bride's finger. Then, the maid of
honor hands the groom's ring to the priest, who blesses it and hands it to the bride to place on the
groom's finger. Each may say, "I take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Liturgy of the Eucharist
1. The Preparation of the Gifts (the bride and groom may bring the bread and wine to the altar,
or someone else may be invited to do so)
2. The Eucharistic Prayer
3. The Lord’s Prayer, stopping just before “Deliver us…”
4. Optional: The Blessing and Placing of the Lazo or the Veil, a tradition important in Hispanic
and Filipino families
5. The Nuptial Blessing (three versions to choose from)
6. The Sign of Peace
7. Holy Communion (an appropriate Communion song should be sung)
Note: If the ceremony takes place without a Mass, the ceremony concludes with nuptial blessings
and a final prayer from the priest.
The Conclusion of the Celebration
1. Solemn Blessing of the newly married couple and the congregation
2. Dismissal
3. Recessional (a hymn could be sung, or instrumental music could be played)
Note: after Mass, the witnesses (usually the best man and maid of honor) and priest sign the
Marriage record in the vesting room or in the presence of the people, but not on the altar.
Roman Catholic Marriage symbols and meanings
The Wedding Rings
The wedding rings symbolises the unity, completeness and eternal love for one another. The
physical meaning is that it is a spoken reminder of faithful commitment to the marriage.
Bridal Veil
The Bridal Veil meaning has many different meanings behind it, but the most popular belief is that
the bride covered her face with the veil to protect her from any evil spirits that might try to steal
her away from her groom.
The Unity Candles
When the Unity Candles are lit during the ceremony it symbolises that where ever we go, the light
of Jesus Christ will always be with us and in our lives. There are two candles to remind the couple
that it is their duty as a couple, to remind each other of God's light in their world.
Holy Bible
The Holy Bible meaning is that it signifies the couple's dedication and promise to discuss and learn
about God and spread his message to the world. It is also the man's role to lead the family
in spiritual practices such as going to church, helping out in the church community and serving in
the church.
Biblical Foundations
Old Testament
1. “God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he
created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and
subdue it’” (Genesis 1: 27-28).
2. “it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” (Genesis
2:18).
3. “a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become
one flesh” (Genesis 2: 24).
4. Adam and Eve blamed each another for what had happened and were now embarrassed
by their nakedness (Genesis 3:7-13).
New Testament
1. “even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her”
(Ephesians 5:25-26). Wives, too, are called to love their husbands as the Church loves
Christ (see Ephesians 5:22-23)
2. The prophets helped the people see that God had not intended husband and wife to be
separated (See Hosea 1-3; Isaiah 54 and 62; Jeremiah 2-3 and 31; Ezekiel 16 and 23;
Malachi 2:13-17)
3. Mark 10:6-9: 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And
they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Goods/Values of Marriage
1.) Marriage as a Sacrament
1.a Sacramental Celebration of Marriage
- man and woman stand before God and the Christian Community and freely and
publicly pronounce the marriage vows.
1.b Ongoing Married Life of the Couple
-visible sign of God’s love
St. Peter
- Bond of Union between husband and wife images the bond of union between Christ
and His Church
Why?
- The bond is one of perfect unity, fidelity and indissolubility
Matrimony: Church gives effective sign of Jesus Transforming couples’ mutual loce
into a revelation og God’s love and an active participation in the new covenant
2.) Marriage fidelity/ Indissolubility
- Promise to give themselves completely and exclusively to each other
- Growing in love and faith in each other
- Not only in avoiding having a relationship with a third party
- Transformation into mature persons ready to make their own trials their own
unique sharing in th e paschal mystery
- unbreakable unity
- - This union unites man and woman into ONE FLESH
- Affirmed by “Therefore, let no man separate what God has joined” Mt. 19:6
- Till death do us part (CFC 1918)
3.) Serving Life: Offspring
- Continuation of human race
- Personal development and eternal destiny of the individual members of a familu
- The dignity stability, peace and prosperioty of the famolu and of the whole human
race (cf GS 48)
-procreation and education of children (cf. CFC 1921)
Marriage as a sacrament of Vocation
- A call to share in God’s own life of love
- Sacrament that reveals and makes present God’s love for His people and Christ love
for His Church
Misconceptions and Issues:
1. Human Intervened
The Myth:
The Catholic Church’s teachings on the sacrament of marriage are random, and marriage is a human
institution.
The Truth:
The Catholic Church’s teachings on the sacrament of marriage reflect Jesus’ teachings on the
sacrament of marriage. Marriage, just like the other six sacraments (baptism, the Eucharist,
confirmation, reconciliation, anointing of the sick, and holy orders), are reinforced by scripture.
Specifically, Jesus’ teachings on marriage can be found in Matthew 19:1-12 and Mark 10:1-12.
Consider reading both of these two comparable passages in order to fathom what Jesus had to say
about our timeless understanding of holy matrimony.
2. Children
The Myth:
The Catholic Church teaches that a married couple must have children.
The Truth:
The Catholic Church teaches that the couple must simply be open to new life. If, God-forbid, the
husband and the wife discover after they are married that they are unable to have children
naturally, whether due to infertility, old age, or some other set of physiological circumstances, their
marriage is not somehow invalid. The Church also celebrates and encourages couples to consider
the beauty of adoption.
3.
The Myth:
The Catholic Church teaches that, if someone is divorced, he or she may not receive the Eucharist.
The Truth:
Actually, what the Church teaches is that someone who is divorced and has entered into a new
intimate relationship without an annulment to the marriage (which is, therefore, still valid in the
Church’s eyes) or the death of the spouse, may not receive the Eucharist.
4: Same sex marriage: Marriage is, was, and always will be the union of one man and one woman in
a permanent, faithful and fruitful union. Homosexual unions can never become marriage since they
biologically cannot be open to children. There is no fruitfulness in same sex ‘marriages’. No legal
decision can change this. Adoption and artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization or surrogate
parenthood are not viable means to render a relationship capable of married fecundity.
Divorce: However, divorced Catholics are still welcome to participate fully in the life of the church
so long as they have not remarried against church law, and the Catholic Church generally requires
civil divorce or annulment procedures to have been completed before it will consider annulment
cases.
Trivia:
a divorce ends a legally valid marriage, an annulment treats the marriage as if it never existed.
Grounds for annulment:
Lack of capacity
Lack of consent
Lack of form
Grounds in general
Issues on marriage
Same sex
Divorce
Annulment
Arranged Marriage
Re-marry if dead
Infertility
Different Religions
Civil Marriage
FAQs
What does the Church say about arranged marriages?
The catholic Church rejects arranged marriages. Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament (sign(s) of
grace) in the Catholic Church. They feel that any Sacrament cannot be forced upon people for
example arranged marriages.
What does the Catholic Church teach about divorce?
The Catholic Church does not permit divorce for valid sacramental marriages. In fact a valid
sacramental marriage is impossible to dissolve thereby making divorce not possible if the
marriage was sacramental.
What about if one spouse is abusive or unfaithful?
There are some cases where living together has become too difficult or practically impossible.
The Church permits a physical separation of the spouses and living apart, but the two still
remain married until an annulment is granted (if applicable).
Isn’t an annulment just a Catholic divorce?
No. An annulment is not a Catholic divorce, bur rather says that the marriage never met the
conditions to be considered sacramental. If at least one criterion for sacramental marriage
was not met then the marriage can be considered invalid and an annulment will be granted.
