Michael Brooks
Marriage is considered a sacred ritual in many religions, but it is only considered a sacrament in the Catholic Church. According to Catholic doctrine, a sacrament is a ritual or symbol that reveals the Lord Jesus, and through which his divine life and love are communicated. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage between two baptized persons is a sacrament, symbolizing the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his people. Other religions may view marriage as a sacred union, but they do not necessarily use the term sacrament to describe it. It is worth noting that the Catholic Church recognizes natural marriages, which can occur between individuals free to marry as long as one or both are unbaptized, but these are distinct from sacramental marriages.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Religion | Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Orthodox |
| Sacramentality | Depends on whether both parties are baptized |
| Validity | Depends on whether both parties are free to marry |
| Rite | Catholic marriages are usually held in a Catholic church |
| Clergy | Catholic marriages are not administered by a priest |
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What You'll Learn
Protestant marriages are considered sacramental
The Protestant view of marriage as a non-sacramental civil contract is tied to the belief that it can be changed as human societies evolve. This is in contrast to the Catholic Church, which considers marriage a sacrament and therefore unchangeable.
The Protestant position on marriage was established by Luther and Calvin, who rejected the idea of marriage as a sacrament due to its apparent disassociation with the instrumental transference of Grace, which they reserved for baptism and communion. For Luther, marriage was a civil contract blessed by God. He recommended that ministers ask the couple questions at the church door, where they would make their promises before being led into the church for a blessing.
The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, a historical document of the Protestant prayer book, states:
> "There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in scripture, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacraments with Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God."
Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, has argued that the theology of marriage has evolved over time, with polygamy, concubinage, and other forms of relationships no longer sanctioned. She notes that marriage, like other humanly constructed social arrangements, changes as human experience changes.
Despite the traditional Protestant view, some modern Protestants have argued for reaffirming marriage as a sacrament. Adam Neal, in his doctoral dissertation 'When Two Become One: Reconsidering Marriage as a Sacrament in Protestant Theology', makes a comprehensive argument for this view through a systematic investigation into the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), New Testament, and Christian history.
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Orthodox marriages are considered sacramental
The Orthodox Church considers marriages to be sacramental. According to the Orthodox teaching, the sacrament of marriage is the human expression of the creative and caring love of God, the perfect Love of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity, which overflows in the creation and care for the world. The Orthodox sacrament of marriage is available only to those who belong to the Church, i.e., only for baptised communicants.
The Orthodox Church maintains that the creation of children and the care and love for them within the context of the family is the normal fulfilment of the love of a man and woman in Christ. Thus, a conscious choice by a married couple not to have a family goes against the biblical, moral and sacramental teachings and experience of the Orthodox Church about the meaning of life, love and marriage.
The Orthodox sacrament of marriage is not a juridical contract and contains no vows or oaths. Instead, it is the "baptising and confirming" of human love in God by Christ in the Holy Spirit. It is the deification of human love in the divine perfection and unity of the eternal Kingdom of God as revealed and given to man in the Church.
The Orthodox Church considers a wedding to be valid and authentic only when it is performed within the context of the Church. One or both members of the engaged couple must be a member in good standing of the Orthodox Church. If one of the spouses has been previously married and divorced, they must present a copy of the civil divorce decree. Furthermore, if the previous marriage took place in the Orthodox Church, the divorced spouse must also have received an ecclesiastical divorce.
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Interfaith marriages are not considered sacramental
The Catholic Church has historically opposed marriages between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, considering them a "degradation of the holy character of matrimony". Interfaith marriages are not considered sacramental in the Catholic Church, and in the case of a Catholic Christian marrying an unbaptized person, the marriage is invalid without a dispensation from the Pope. The Catholic Church requires a dispensation for mixed marriages, which can be granted by the bishop or ordinary of the territory where the marriage takes place.
The Catholic Church recognizes marriages between two non-Christians or between a Catholic Christian and a non-Christian, but these are not considered sacramental. In these cases, the Catholic Christian must seek permission from their bishop for the marriage to occur, and this permission is known as a "dispensation from disparity of cult". The non-Catholic partner does not have to convert, but the Catholic spouse must promise to do their best to raise any children in the Catholic faith.
In the case of a Catholic marrying a non-Catholic Christian, the marriage is considered sacramental if both parties are baptized. However, if one or both spouses are not baptized, the marriage is not considered sacramental, though it is still recognized as valid.
While the Catholic Church considers marriage a sacrament, this view is not universal among Christian denominations. Protestants, for example, do not consider marriage a sacrament and admit divorce, which is forbidden in sacramental Catholic marriages.
Some other Christian denominations, such as the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, discourage interfaith marriages but provide guidelines and support for couples who choose to marry outside of their faith.
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Marriage is not a sacrament in Protestant churches
Marriage is not considered a sacrament in Protestant churches. This belief allowed Henry VIII to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn. The argument was that if humans joined two people in matrimony, then humans could also tear that union apart.
The theology of marriage has evolved over time, with biblical examples including polygamy, concubinage, and other forms of relationships no longer sanctioned in The Episcopal Church. Marriage, like other humanly constructed social arrangements, changes as human experience changes.
The belief that marriage is not a sacrament has been used to advocate for the ordination of women and LGBT clergy and for marriage equality. Moderate and progressive Protestant churches have used this belief to move marriage equality forward. One of the important arguments for marriage equality is founded on the Protestant insistence that, unlike Baptism and Eucharist, marriage is a human custom.
The Episcopal Church, the American offspring of Anglicanism, does not regard marriage as a sacrament. It also deems the state to have authority over marriage.
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A Catholic marriage is more than a contract
The Catholic Church has very specific views on marriage and considers it a sacrament. This is in contrast to Protestants, who view marriage as a contract and not a sacrament, and who admit divorce—something the Catholic Church does not.
For a Catholic marriage to be considered valid, certain requirements must be met. These include that both parties are free to marry, they exchange their consent freely, they intend to marry for life and be faithful, and their consent is given in the presence of two witnesses and a properly authorized church minister.
The sacrament of matrimony is conferred not by a priest, but by a man and a woman in the presence of a priest. When in a state of grace, the couple receives special graces for a lifelong relationship that mirrors the mystical wedding of Christ and the Church. This is a special vocation with supernatural assistance and significance provided continually to partners in the state of grace. Theologians debate how the sacrament of marriage contains grace.
In the early Church, marriages were contracted without clergy for centuries. Over time, the Church developed more strict conditions for what constituted a valid marriage, and the canonical form of marriage was required.
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