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282 • Part II. The Sacraments: The Faith Celebrated
THE CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE
According to the Latin tradition, the spouses as min-
isters of Christ’s grace mutually confer upon each
other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their
consent before the Church. In the traditions of the
Eastern Churches, the priest (bishops or presbyters) are
witnesses to the mutual consent given by the spouses,
but for the validity of the sacrament their blessing is
also necessary.
—CCC, no. 1623
In the Latin Church, the free consent of the couple is at the heart of the
marriage celebration. By Church law, when two Catholics marry they
must exchange this consent in the presence of the Church’s minister,
two witnesses, and the congregation. The priest or deacon calls forth
this consent, but the marriage itself takes place through the public con-
sent of the couple. The priest invites the couple to do so in these words:
“Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands
and declare your consent before God and his Church.” There are vari-
ous formulas for this consent. One that may be used is as follows: “I,
[
Name
], take you, [
Name
], to be my [
wife/husband
]. I promise to be true
to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love
you and honor you all the days of my life.” In the Eastern Churches, the
Sacrament is conferred by the blessing of the priest after receiving the
couple’s consent.
The consent is further symbolized in the Latin Church by the bless-
ing and exchange of rings with the words: “Take this ring as a sign of
my love and fidelity, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.”