6.2 The Middle ages and the Council of Trent
It is quite evident that the Christians in the Western part of the empire were influenced by the marriage customs in Rome, the prayers which replaced the pagan nuptial sacrifices were biblical in imagery and inspiration and structured after Jewish patterns. One of the earliest blessings found in the book of Tobit is recalled. The text records the blessing pronounced by Sarah’s father, Raguel:
From now on you belong to her and she to you; she is yours forever from this day. May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you, and may he himself join you together, and fill you with his blessings
With respect to marriage, one can confidently assert that the first moment of this …show more content…
The “Ego conjugonos” formula became widespread and tended to be looked upon as the sacramental formula, comparable to “Ego te baptizo.” The Roman Ritual published in 1614 emphasised the role of the priest at the expense of that of the couple. In addition, the rite, which was to take place in the church (with the couple kneeling before the altar), reduced the formulary to a minimum: expression of consent in the form of “Yes” to the question asked by the priest; joining their hands, followed by the “Ego conjugonos” and a sprinkling with holy water; blessing of the ring, which the husband then placed on his wife’s finger, but with the accompanying words from the priest; some psalm verses and a short concluding prayer. The wedding Mass followed, with the nuptial blessing after Our Father and a final blessing that developed from the one given in Scripture for the marriage of Tobias and Sarah (Tob …show more content…
But the beginning of the seventeenth century the rituals also displayed a decorum, and even austerity, that henceforth found a place in all aspects of worship and caused the excision of everything that was regarded as an abuse:
Parish priests are exhorted to display a great deal of seriousness in all ceremonies connected with marriage, to keep those present within the bounds of modesty, and above all, to prevent anything secular and contrary to the holiness of the place and sacrament of marriage from being done in the church; for example presents and gifts are not to be given to the newly-weds there, nor are travelling entertainers, fiddlers, and other such folk to be brought in on the excuse of providing joyous music.
The universal and increasingly strict implementation of the Roman Ritual gave an impression of aridity and impoverishment, a fact recognised by Vatican II. The Reformation did not bring any break with the rites of marriage, which continued to be those of the Middle Ages, even though the Reformers in their theology did not accept marriage as a sacrament.
6.3 Casti Connubii
It is quite evident that the Christians in the Western part of the empire were influenced by the marriage customs in Rome, the prayers which replaced the pagan nuptial sacrifices were biblical in imagery and inspiration and structured after Jewish patterns. One of the earliest blessings found in the book of Tobit is recalled. The text records the blessing pronounced by Sarah’s father, Raguel:
From now on you belong to her and she to you; she is yours forever from this day. May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob be with you, and may he himself join you together, and fill you with his blessings
With respect to marriage, one can confidently assert that the first moment of this …show more content…
The “Ego conjugonos” formula became widespread and tended to be looked upon as the sacramental formula, comparable to “Ego te baptizo.” The Roman Ritual published in 1614 emphasised the role of the priest at the expense of that of the couple. In addition, the rite, which was to take place in the church (with the couple kneeling before the altar), reduced the formulary to a minimum: expression of consent in the form of “Yes” to the question asked by the priest; joining their hands, followed by the “Ego conjugonos” and a sprinkling with holy water; blessing of the ring, which the husband then placed on his wife’s finger, but with the accompanying words from the priest; some psalm verses and a short concluding prayer. The wedding Mass followed, with the nuptial blessing after Our Father and a final blessing that developed from the one given in Scripture for the marriage of Tobias and Sarah (Tob …show more content…
But the beginning of the seventeenth century the rituals also displayed a decorum, and even austerity, that henceforth found a place in all aspects of worship and caused the excision of everything that was regarded as an abuse:
Parish priests are exhorted to display a great deal of seriousness in all ceremonies connected with marriage, to keep those present within the bounds of modesty, and above all, to prevent anything secular and contrary to the holiness of the place and sacrament of marriage from being done in the church; for example presents and gifts are not to be given to the newly-weds there, nor are travelling entertainers, fiddlers, and other such folk to be brought in on the excuse of providing joyous music.
The universal and increasingly strict implementation of the Roman Ritual gave an impression of aridity and impoverishment, a fact recognised by Vatican II. The Reformation did not bring any break with the rites of marriage, which continued to be those of the Middle Ages, even though the Reformers in their theology did not accept marriage as a sacrament.
6.3 Casti Connubii