The Sacrament of Matrimony, or marriage, is a unique sacrament because it is the man and the woman that mutually administers the sacrament upon each other in the presence of a priest or deacon and other witnesses.
It is a sacred covenant, a public promise made by the husband and the wife to be true to each other until death parts them. In order for a marriage to be valid, the couple must be entering into the covenant out of their own free will, without fear or coercion. They are also asked to honour and be true to each other for the rest of their lives, as well as to accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and His Church.
Are you getting married? Have questions about Marriage Prep? Find out more here.
Bishop Barron on the Sacrament of Marriage | Word on Fire
Recently, I had the great good pleasure of presiding at the wedding of my niece, Bryna, and her now husband, Nelson. While we rejoice in their love for each other, the fact that they have now...
The Beauty of a Sacramental Marriage
Early in my marriage my husband sat across from me and shared something he’d been keeping in for six months: The clothes on our bedroom floor really bothered him. I was shocked. The floor of our...
10 Years Strong: How We Built Our Marriage on a Foundation of Prayer
A couple of years before meeting my wife, I started praying a prayer about her and about preparing both of us for marriage. I prayed for her faith, her strength, her soul, and her happiness. I...Common Questions - Marriage
A sacred union celebrating the covenant between a man and woman as husband and wife. For more information on marriage in the Catholic Church, please visit: https://rcav.org/marriage-prep
No. Many of us will be called to holiness by entering into the sacrament of marriage, but not all Christians are called to this vocation. If you are in a serious relationship and would like to learn more about marriage preparation, please visit: https://rcav.org/marriage-prep
A Catholic may marry a non-Catholic Christian or a person from another religion, but he/she would need to seek Church approval before the wedding by way of a dispensation.
A dispensation in Catholic canon law is an exemption from Church law. The authority competent to issue a dispensation is the local bishop or the Apostolic See.