What are the differences between Catholic and Anglican marriage ceremonies? [MOVED]

[HenryDaniels]

What are the differences between Catholic and Anglican marriage ceremonies?


I have to write about this for a school assignment and am having trouble finding information on the topic. Does anyone know specific information pertaining to it or where I could find such information?


Thanks.

[Naomi4Christ]

This post may get moved from this forum :)

I don't think there needs to be a big difference. Roman Catholic ceremonies often have Holy Communion as part of them, and this is less usual (although perfectly fine) in Anglican ceremonies.

There is more flexibility in the remarriage of divorced people in Anglican ceremonies, although it is usually on a case by case basis.

The actual ceremony itself with have the same elements in each church.

[HenryDaniels]

This post may get moved from this forum :)

I don't think there needs to be a big difference. Roman Catholic ceremonies often have Holy Communion as part of them, and this is less usual (although perfectly fine) in Anglican ceremonies.

There is more flexibility in the remarriage of divorced people in Anglican ceremonies, although it is usually on a case by case basis.

The actual ceremony itself with have the same elements in each church.
Thank you.

Why may it get moved?

[Naomi4Christ]

It's in the forum for non-denominational Christians. It would be better of in OBOB and/or STR.

[constance]

Hi -

I've moved this from Non-Denom to STR. Hoping that y'all can help this poster.

HenryDaniels, if you would like this posted in OBOB, please let me know via PM.

As a note, my husband and I were married using the 1520 Salisbury Rite. You may find this to be an interesting comment in your paper - this rite is common to both English Catholicism and Anglicanism - it's the basis upon which the Book of Common Prayer was written.

Constance

[AngCath]

one notable differance is the emphasis on marriage and childbirth in the Catholic rite.

[erin74]

I'm sure ours had a mention of childbirth - what's the difference AngCath?

[gtsecc]

The Marriage

The Man, facing the woman and taking her right hand in his, says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my wife, to
have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse,
for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the man, takes his right hand
in hers, and says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse,
for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

They loose their hands.

The Priest may ask God’s blessing on a ring or rings as follows

Bless, O Lord, this ring to be a sign of the vows by which
this man and this woman have bound themselves to each
other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The giver places the ring on the ring‑finger of the other’s hand and says

N., I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all
that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (or in the
Name of God).


Then the Celebrant joins the right hands of husband and wife and says

Now that N. and N. have given themselves to each other by
solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and
receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband
and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit.

Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

People Amen.


The Prayers

All standing, the Celebrant says

Let us pray together in the words our Savior taught us.

People and Celebrant

Our Father, who art in heaven, Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name, hallowed be your Name,
thy kingdom come, your kingdom come,
thy will be done, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those as we forgive those
who trespass against us. who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation, Save us from the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil. and deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, For the kingdom, the power,
and the power, and the glory, and the glory are yours
for ever and ever. Amen. now and for ever. Amen.

If Communion is to follow, the Lord’s Prayer may be omitted here.


The Deacon or other person appointed reads the following prayers,
to which the People respond, saying, Amen.

If there is not to be a Communion, one or more of the prayers may
be omitted.

Let us pray.

Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of
salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the
world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life,
and especially upon this man and this woman whom you
make one flesh in Holy Matrimony. Amen.

Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their
common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a
counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion
in joy. Amen.

Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will,
and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may grow in love
and peace with you and one another all the days of their life.
Amen.

Give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and
acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other’s forgiveness
and yours. Amen.

Make their life together a sign of Christ’s love to this sinful
and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement,
forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair. Amen.

Bestow on them, if it is your will, the gift and heritage of
children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to love
you, and to serve you. Amen.

Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they
may reach out in love and concern for others. Amen.


Grant that all married persons who have witnessed these vows
may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties
confirmed. Amen.

Grant that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all
your children are united one to another, and the living to the
dead, may be so transformed by your grace, that your will may
be done on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your
Son and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign in perfect unity,
now and for ever. Amen.

[gtsecc]

The Blessing of the Marriage

The people remain standing. The husband and wife kneel, and the Priest says one
of the following prayers

Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love
in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a
human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the
way of life. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of
man and woman in his Name. By the power of your Holy
Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this
man and this woman. Defend them from every enemy. Lead
them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal
upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a
crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in
their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in
their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death.
Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your
saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and
reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

or this

O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage
that in it is represented the spiritual unity between Christ
and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon these your
servants, that they may so love, honor, and cherish each other
in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness,
that their home may be a haven of blessing and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The husband and wife still kneeling, the Priest adds this blessing

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless,
preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor
look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and
grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and
in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen.

[Inside Edge]

I don't know if this is an "official" difference, but I've been to several Catholic weddings and in none of them did the priest tie a knot around the couple.

In our (Anglican) ceremony, during the Blessing of the Marriage, we knelt and the priest used the scarf-thingy to tie a knot and bind our hands together.

[Fairbairn]

I don't know if this is an "official" difference, but I've been to several Catholic weddings and in none of them did the priest tie a knot around the couple.

In our (Anglican) ceremony, during the Blessing of the Marriage, we knelt and the priest used the scarf-thingy to tie a knot and bind our hands together.
I don't think that this is standard practice. It sounds very nice though. :)

Our clergy tend to do things that are unique to them in our church. For example, one always brings a bunch of gifts - things like "Learner Plates" (which is what you have to have on a car when you are learning to drive), to show that the wedding is just the beginning of their lives together; rubber gloves and a spray cleaner to show that it is not always pleasant.

There are certain parts of the ceremony that are there - asking if there is any reason in law not to allow the couple to marry, the vows, the declaration, the signing of the register, the blessing, hymns, prayers, songs, and a short talk. How you dress these up is open to variation

[gtsecc]

Stole

[erin74]

Stole
I assume you mean the minister. I have not been to many weddings where the minister robed. One white dress is usually enough at a wedding - I did threaten my minister for quite a while that if I had to wear a white dress he did too, but we didn't go with it.

My dh wears a nice suit to marry people.

[SirTimothy]

In our (Anglican) ceremony, during the Blessing of the Marriage, we knelt and the priest used the scarf-thingy to tie a knot and bind our hands together.

That's trad CofE practice and can be done at the request of the family of either couple if needed at my home church (whose minister never robes)

[Fairbairn]

Our clergy wear the same as they wear on Sundays - shirt, collar, and some kind of suit or jacket & trousers.

[gtsecc]

I assume you mean the minister. I have not been to many weddings where the minister robed. One white dress is usually enough at a wedding - I did threaten my minister for quite a while that if I had to wear a white dress he did too, but we didn't go with it.

My dh wears a nice suit to marry people.
At My Church we always celebrate communion as the first act a married couple does, so our Priest is vested, at least with a chasuble, which is standard even in the lowest churches in America.

How ever, that is not what I was talking about.
I was talking about the "stole" in response to
In our (Anglican) ceremony, during the Blessing of the Marriage, we knelt and the priest used the scarf-thingy to tie a knot and bind our hands together.
The stole indicates a sacramental act is going on.
Priests, have no authority, and therefore wear the stole crossed over. This iis ndicating that the Bishop has the authority, and the priest is merely acting as agent for the Bishop.


http://it.geocities.com/donjimusa/stole.jpg

[artrx]

At My Church we always celebrate communion as the first act a married couple does, so our Priest is vested, at least with a chasuble, which is standard even in the lowest churches in America.

This was true for us in our wedding ceremony. We also had our hands wrapped together. Our church then had a high church liturgy with smells, bells and candles. At the time most of our family and many friends were from conservative evangelical traditions, but almost everyone celebrated the eucharist with us (to our pleasant surprise. Even the priest had to get extra wafers:)). Our priest was great at welcoming them knowing the backgrounds present and I believe that God was powerfully present in that ceremony to everyone.

[gtsecc]

Have we established that there are no differences?

[SirTimothy]

At My Church we always celebrate communion as the first act a married couple does, so our Priest is vested, at least with a chasuble, which is standard even in the lowest churches in America.

Interesting. Very uncommon in the Anglican chruches that I've been to. Only two of our locums have worn chasubles, and another one put it on while consecrating the elements then immediately removed it. In the UK, low church vestments would be plain white cassock alb (and possibly stole if they're feeling formal) or cassock surplice and scarf, or no vestments at all.

[Fairbairn]

Interesting. Very uncommon in the Anglican chruches that I've been to. Only two of our locums have worn chasubles, and another one put it on while consecrating the elements then immediately removed it. In the UK, low church vestments would be plain white cassock alb (and possibly stole if they're feeling formal) or cassock surplice and scarf, or no vestments at all.
I've only been to one CofE wedding that had Communion, but the clergy were not vested. It wasn't my church, but our clergy don't vest for HC on Sundays, so I don't think they would for a wedding either.

[Bev56]

I've only been to one CofE wedding that had Communion, but the clergy were not vested. It wasn't my church, but our clergy don't vest for HC on Sundays, so I don't think they would for a wedding either.
I guess it depends on whether the church is high or low C of E.

[Inside Edge]

Thanks to gtsecc, from here on in I will now know that "scarf-thingy" has a proper name, "stole."

All the priests I've seen in my Diocese are robed on Sundays, and only 1 Anglican wedding I've been to (out of 4) was the priest not robed (which was not in my Diocese).

But yeah, now we're talking about the differences between Anglican weddings...

...sounds like there's nothing significant differing from a Catholic wedding.

[karen freeinchristman]

I guess it depends on whether the church is high or low C of E.
Yes - at my church, which is middle of the road, the vicar robes.

[Fairbairn]

I don't think a scarf and a stole are the same thing

[SirTimothy]

No. A preaching scarf is black and floor-length and is generally warn with cassock and surplice. A stole is coloured and worn with alb and occasionally chasuble.

[Fairbairn]

When our clergy vest, then wear a cassock, surplice, academic hood and scarf.

[gtsecc]

Well, the black scarf is a tippet.
Evangelicals who might sometimes wear a tippet instead of a stole, but I am almost certain thety are the same thing, or at least the tippet evolved from the stole.
Maybe I am nuts. I haven't been to bible colelge on this. I'll ask my roomate.

[Fairbairn]

I thought the stole was something introduced by the Oxford Movement, harking back to the SPQR of ancient Rome.

[higgs2]

Well, the black scarf is a tippet.
Evangelicals who might sometimes wear a tippet instead of a stole, but I am almost certain thety are the same thing, or at least the tippet evolved from the stole.
Maybe I am nuts. I haven't been to bible colelge on this. I'll ask my roomate.
You know the most amazing things. Is your roomate a priest?

P.S. Do they teach about tippets in "Bible College"? :D You are funny. :)

[gtsecc]

I thought the stole was something introduced by the Oxford Movement, harking back to the SPQR of ancient Rome.
I might use the word restored instead of introduced. ;)