Ethan Walker
The Sacrament of Matrimony, or Holy Matrimony, is a Catholic marriage between a man and a woman that is recognised as a covenant or contract, a liturgical act, and a public statement of faith. The Catholic Church has seven sacraments, and marriage is one of them, although it has not always been considered a sacrament. The first official declaration that marriage is a sacrament was made in 1184 as part of a condemnation of Catharism, which taught that marriage and procreation were evil. The Sacrament of Matrimony is a lifelong commitment of faithful love between two baptised persons, reflecting the enduring love between Christ and his Church.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature | A covenant, more than a contract |
| Participants | A man and a woman |
| Purpose | To help partners live in faithfulness to God |
| Liturgical act | Eucharistic Liturgy |
| Witness | A priest or a deacon |
| Marriage type | Permanent, faithful, exclusive |
| Number of sacraments | 7 |
| Other sacraments | Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders |
| Adultery and polygamy | Opposed to the sacrament of matrimony |
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What You'll Learn
Marriage as a covenant
Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a sacrament in the Catholic Church. It is a covenant, which is more than a contract. A covenant expresses a relationship between persons, in this case, the husband and wife. The marriage covenant refers to the permanent union of two persons capable of knowing and loving each other and God.
The celebration of marriage is a liturgical act, held in public liturgy at church. It is an act of public worship, a community prayer, bringing God's blessing to the couple. The couple administers the sacrament to each other during the exchange of promises in the marriage ceremony. Their love for each other reflects the enduring love between Christ and his Church and provides them with a foretaste of the divine love that awaits in paradise.
In Catholic teaching, the sacrament of matrimony brings grace to those who receive it. Grace is a way of describing how God shares his divine life with us and gives us the help we need to live as followers of Christ. In marriage, this grace helps the spouses to be faithful and good parents, and to serve others beyond their immediate family. It also helps them to show the community that a loving and lasting marriage is desirable and possible.
The first official declaration that marriage is a sacrament was made at the 1184 Synod of Verona as part of a condemnation of the Cathars, who taught that marriage and procreation are evil. In 1208, Pope Innocent III required members of the Waldensians to recognize marriage as a sacrament. The Council of Trent reaffirmed this teaching in 1547, declaring that there were seven sacraments, with marriage as one of them.
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The history of the sacrament
The medieval Christian church, influenced by Augustine, developed the sacramental understanding of matrimony. However, even at this stage, the Catholic Church did not consider all sacraments equal in importance. Marriage was never considered to be one of the sacraments of Christian initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) or of those that confer a character (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders).
The first official declaration that marriage is a sacrament came in 1184 at the Synod of Verona, as part of a condemnation of the Cathars, who taught that marriage and procreation were evil. In 1208, Pope Innocent III required members of the Waldensians to recognize marriage as a sacrament. The Council of Florence's Decree for the Armenians also declared matrimony as the seventh sacrament, "a figure of the union of Christ, and the Church".
The Council of Trent in 1547 reaffirmed the teaching that marriage is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. This was in response to the Protestant reformers' views on marriage, which considered it a worldly thing and not a sacrament, and their acceptance of divorce. The Council issued the decree Tametsi, which sought to impose the Church's control over the marriage process by laying down strict conditions for what constituted a valid marriage.
Over time, the Catholic Church has maintained its opposition to marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics, baptized or not, seeing it as "degrading the holy character of matrimony". The Church also forbids Catholic Christians from marrying heretics or schismatics without dispensation. While the Church does not recognize civil divorce and remarriage, it does grant annulments in certain circumstances, clarifying the validity of a marriage.
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The role of the Church
The Catholic Church plays a pivotal role in the Sacrament of Matrimony, also known as Holy Matrimony. Firstly, the Church provides the theological foundation for understanding marriage as a sacrament. It teaches that a Catholic marriage is more than a contract; it is a covenant that signifies the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his people. This sacramental understanding was developed by the medieval Christian church, influenced by Augustine, and later reaffirmed by the Council of Trent in 1547.
Secondly, the Church defines the requirements for a valid Catholic marriage. According to Catholic matrimonial law, influenced by Roman law, marriage is a free mutual agreement between a man and a woman. The Church requires the consent of both parties to be conscious, free, and not coerced. In the case of a mixed marriage, that is, between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, the Church mandates specific conditions. For a marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic, permission from the ecclesiastical authority is necessary. Meanwhile, a marriage between a Catholic and a non-baptized person requires a dispensation for validity, along with the commitment to raise their children in the Catholic faith.
Thirdly, the Church prescribes the liturgical celebration of matrimony. It is to be a public act of worship, held within the Eucharistic Liturgy and witnessed by a priest or deacon, as well as other witnesses. The exchange of promises during the ceremony is a sacred moment where the couple administers the sacrament to each other, receiving God's blessing and grace to live out their marriage as a symbol of Christ's love for his bride, the Church.
Lastly, the Church provides guidance and support for married couples throughout their lives. It encourages couples to grow in prayer together and as a family. Additionally, the Church offers pastoral resources to navigate the challenges of married life, such as conflict resolution and upholding faithfulness. The Church upholds the indissolubility of marriage and does not recognize civil divorce and remarriage. However, it permits physical separation in exceptional circumstances, always prioritizing the well-being of those involved.
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Mixed marriages
In Catholic doctrine, a mixed marriage is one between a Catholic and a non-Catholic Christian, also known as an interdenominational marriage. The Catholic Church has historically opposed marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics, baptized or not, believing that such unions degrade the holy character of matrimony. The Church considers two main obstacles to a Catholic's marriage: the impediments of mixed religion (in Latin, mixta religio) and difference of worship (in Latin, disparitas cultus).
The Church has always forbidden Catholic Christians from marrying heretics or schismatics. While marriage with a non-Christian was considered invalid, unions with heretics were seen as valid but illicit unless a dispensation was obtained. The Church hoped that a converted spouse would bring the other party to the faith or, at the very least, ensure the Catholic upbringing of any children in the union.
The first official declaration that marriage is a sacrament was made at the 1184 Synod of Verona, in reaction to the Cathar belief that marriage and procreation are evil. In 1208, Pope Innocent III required members of the Waldensians to recognize marriage as a sacrament. The Council of Trent, on 3 March 1547, reaffirmed the teaching that marriage is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church recognizes as sacramental the marriages between two baptized non-Catholic Christians, as well as marriages between baptized non-Catholic Christians and Catholic Christians. In the latter case, consent from the diocesan bishop must be obtained, termed "dispensation to enter into a mixed marriage". All marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics are invalid unless they take place in the presence of an accredited priest and two witnesses, as per the decree Ne temere, which went into effect on 18 April 1908.
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The purpose of matrimony
The sacrament of matrimony is a public act of worship, a community prayer, bringing God's blessing to the couple. It is a liturgical act, usually held in public within a church. The exchange of promises during the ceremony is a symbol of Christ's love for his bride, the Church, and it is witnessed by an official Church representative, either a priest or deacon.
The purpose of this sacrament is to help the spouses live in faithfulness to God and to each other, reflecting Christ's enduring love for the Church. It is a foretaste of the divine love that awaits them in paradise. Their union is a sign of God's unconditional love, and it is meant to be an example of this love for their family and the wider community.
Matrimony is not an obligation for all, as God calls some to a life of virginity or celibacy. However, for those who choose to marry, the sacrament of matrimony is a sacred covenant that brings grace and strength to the spouses, helping them to be faithful and good parents, and to serve others beyond their immediate family.
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Frequently asked questions
The Sacrament of Matrimony, or Holy Matrimony, is a covenant between a man and a woman, uniting them as one, and establishing a lifelong partnership. It is a liturgical act and a public statement about God and family values.
The Catholic Church considers marriage a Sacrament as it expresses the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his people. It is also a symbol of Christ's love for his bride, the Church.
For a valid Catholic marriage, there must be consent from both parties, and the marriage must be administered by a priest or deacon as an act of public worship. The Catholic Church also requires that both parties be baptised, although marriages between a Catholic and a non-Catholic Christian are recognised as sacramental.
