Permanence is evident in a lot of the marriage ceremony. For example; in the greeting the priest asks the couple three questions, one of which is, “Will you love and honour each other for life?” This shows the couple agreeing to love each other for life not just until they get bored, but for life, and life is a permanent thing. Also the vows contain references to permanence. The vows say, “Till death do us part.” This shows that marriage is permanent, for life, until death. The wedding rings are circular, and a circle has no end, as a marriage also should, so the shape of the wedding ring symbolises permanence.
In the Gospel Jesus talks about how a marriage has to be permanent in Mark’s Gospel he says, “No human then must separate what God has joined together.” Marriage must not be ended, until death. On 31st May 1982, Pope John Paul II, spoke about Christian marriage in his homily. He said, “The agreement between man and woman in Christian marriage can never be broken.” The Pope is telling us that, marriage is permanent in the eyes of the church and God.
Another key theme in Catholic marriage is; exclusiveness. This is shown in one of the three questions the priest asks the couple in the greeting, “Have you come to give yourself to each other freely and without reservation?” The question is saying, that the couple should give themselves to each other, no one else. The vows say, “ to have and to hold from this day forward.” No one else can have them, so the marriage is exclusive. The wedding rings are blessed as a sin of the couples’ love and fidelity. Fidelity meaning faithfulness, this also shows how marriage is exclusive.
In the Gospels Jesus says a lot about exclusiveness and not committing adultery. In Mark’s Gospel Jesus says, “If a man divorces his wife and marries another woman, he commits adultery against his wife.” This shows Jesus was anti divorce and believed in exclusiveness within marriage. In John’s Gospel Jesus shows how even if exclusiveness has been violated, forgiveness is best. He says, “I do not condemn you,” to a woman who has committed adultery. The Pope said in his homily, “A man and woman must give themselves completely to each other,” showing no one else should be involved.
Life giving is the final theme. The couple must give life to each other and children. The priest asks, “Will you accept children lovingly from God?” Asking, if they will give life. Jesus said, “the two will no longer be two but one,” they will make a child, and give life. The Pope’s homily says, “for their children,” and so is reinforcing the life giving aspect.
The Catholic church rejects divorce, but many other Christian groups differ on the subject. This could be because of the differences between two quotes in two Gospels. In John’s Gospel, a story of Jesus forgiving a woman who has committed adultery is told, and the infamous quote, “Whichever of you has committed no sin may throw the first stone at her,” was said, thus showing us to forgive not divorce. But, the differing in Christian groups’ opinions appears because of what is said in Matthew’s Gospel, “if a man divorces his wife, for any other cause but her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery. Matthew’s gospel is telling us divorce is acceptable in the case of adultery. These differences in the Gospels, has resulted in the differences in beliefs of different Christian groups.
The Church of England does not, in principle, accept divorce. But an increasing number of vicars are offering the remarriage of divorcees in a civil ceremony. Many Free churches, on the other hand, accept divorce. They believe marriage does not end at the physical death of one of the married couple, but at the death of the love shared between the couple. The Catholic Church though does not accept divorce in some cases grant an annulment. An annulment is the cancellation of a marriage, done by the Catholic church, when a couple admit that the marriage was done either under the influence of something or someone, or the couple admit that one of them had no intention of keeping to the marriage vows. Therefore, the marriage is effectively considered void.
