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Author: Jenny O'Brien Did you know that the first official Roman ritual for Christian Marriage only appeared in 1614 and was only officially recognised as one of the seven sacraments in the Middle Ages?
In the first millennium the Church accepted marriage as a secular reality and there was no Christian ritual accompanying its celebration. It “belonged” to the family and to civil authorities. The only role that the Church played was to discourage Christians from partaking in any pagan practices contrary to the Christian spirit (like sacrificing to idols.) Author: Jenny O'Brien When a young couple approaches the Church to be married, their intention is to formally ratify the deep love they have for each other in the presence of their family and friends, with the blessing of the Church. It is assumed that they will have some connection with the Church: it may be that they want to be married in the same church in which their parents were married, or in the chapel attached to the school that they attended, or simply because the particular church building is very beautiful.
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Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
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