The meaning of wedding
The wedding ceremony marks the union of two human souls. According to Christian views, after a wedding, a man and woman become a “small church.” Their future life together is sanctified by grace and blessed for the birth and upbringing of children.
A wedding, with rare exceptions, is possible only once in a lifetime , so the choice of future spouses should be a conscious act of voluntary love. The ceremony is preceded by long preparation, which includes attending pre-marital courses, fasting, reading prayers, participating in the sacrament of confession and the Eucharist.
Exceptions to weddings
However, there are very rare exceptions when it is still possible to carry out a sacred wedding ceremony without registering a marriage with a registry office. Firstly, if the priest knows the couple well and is completely confident in their strong feelings for each other, he can take responsibility before God and perform the ceremony.
They can also get married when there are special, extreme conditions that threaten the life of one of the spouses. This could be a life-threatening operation or serving a deadly job. In this case, the possibility of holding a ceremony is decided on an individual basis. If the highest ranks of the church give their permission, then the wedding ceremony can be carried out without a marriage certificate. For all other cases, you must obtain permission from the diocesan bishop.
Will they get married in church without marriage?
Until 1917, when church and state were not separated, church marriage had absolute legality and legal force. Any marital union was concluded within the walls of the temple. During the existence of the USSR, church traditions were vetoed and special government bodies were formed.
Currently, official registration of marriage in a state institution (registry office) is a mandatory condition for a clergyman to perform a wedding ceremony. The Christian Church defines law-abidingness as a type of virtue, so obtaining a marriage certificate in advance confirms the seriousness of the couple's intentions. Otherwise, the wedding may simply be a tribute to family tradition, or its holding may be caused by the desire of only one of the spouses.
The preliminary conclusion of an official marriage, from the point of view of the church, is also necessary to exclude the possibility of remarriage, polygamy and polyandry, unions between blood relatives, etc.
A wedding is the last step in confirming mutual love, which cannot be canceled, unlike a state or so-called civil marriage.
Important! Long-term cohabitation does not become an argument in favor of holding the sacrament.
On the contrary, the church will perceive the relationship as immoral: such couples will not be allowed to receive communion until they repent that they lived in sin. What in modern society is usually called a civil marriage, from a religious point of view, is not a marriage at all. The church refers to a civil marriage as one entered into by state authorities.
A man and a woman living together, running a common household, and even having children together “without a stamp in the passport” is an ordinary cohabitation, which the clergy attribute to prodigal sin - one of the seven deadly sins that are most difficult to atone for.
The clergy are sure that in cohabitation there is no responsibility of a person for himself and his spouse; mutual obligations are not defined. Reluctance to enter into legal marriage is usually caused by distrust and disdain for each other. This indicates a lack of true love, and it is on it that Christianity is based.
Another possible reason for cohabitation is disrespect for church and secular laws , which also cannot be approved by the church.
Wedding in a church without registration in the registry office: is it possible?
The wedding ritual has a deep sacred meaning for believers. Each of the newlyweds bares their soul before their future spouse and the Lord. The union is recognized not only in earthly life, but also in heaven.
Why do newlyweds need this?
It is important that those wishing to enter into a church marriage strive to do this not only for the sake of a romantic, beautiful ceremony. The ceremony implies a willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of a loved one, to be absolutely devoted to him.
Married spouses do not allow anger and violence towards each other, manifestations of jealousy and other passions. Peace and mutual understanding reign within the couple, Christian commandments are respected, and children are raised by the rules of the church.
But the ritual itself does not guarantee a prosperous life together, family happiness. Partners take joint responsibility for the preservation of the marriage before God.
A wedding without or with marriage registration only helps to realize the importance of the decision being made.
Is registration required?
The wedding ceremony is held only after a secular marriage. The procedure involves signing at the registry office, and the newlyweds receive the appropriate mark in their passport. The common expression “civil marriage” implies partners living together without registration. This type of relationship is condemned by the church and is considered fornication.
Are there any exceptions
The Church allows some deviations from the norms. You can get married without official registration:
- If a secular wedding is scheduled for the same date, but later. In this case, it is necessary to provide the priest with an invitation to register at the registry office, where the names of the spouses are indicated.
- If the lovers are obedient parishioners, the rector of the temple has been observing the couple for many years and sees the serious and bright feelings of the partners for each other. The clergyman allows the conclusion of such a union in the church at his own responsibility. Most likely, the priest will recommend that you first register the marriage officially.
- If there are insurmountable circumstances under which it is temporarily impossible to get married in an official institution. For example, one of the newlyweds is about to travel to places of hostilities, undergo a serious surgical operation, etc.
At the same time, the church fully recognizes marriages certified only in the registry office and not married for any reason.
If elderly spouses in a civil marriage decide to undergo a church ceremony, the church also allows this.
Statistics show that the divorce rate has increased in recent years, including among Christians getting married. This suggests that many people do not take the sacrament seriously enough. For this reason, clergy are making increasingly strict demands upon admission to the ritual.
Popular excuses
You can sometimes hear strange phrases from believers who oppose the painting in the registry office.
For example, in an attempt to find an excuse, many say that it is important to get married, and the stamp in the passport is “a matter of profit” and it is not necessary to put it. This is fair, but a counter question arises: why resist an “insignificant” formality, and why not go through the 15-minute painting procedure?
Another common argument: “We have such strong love, but we have absolutely no money for a wedding, so for now we’ll just get married.” In this case , you can choose non-ceremonial registration by paying only 350 rubles in state duty . With such an excuse, the priest will have a fair doubt: what will the young people live on, raise children, improve their life, if they cannot even save money for a modest ceremony?
Wedding without registration
Just a hundred years ago, a marriage sanctified by the church had all legal rights and was completely legal. These days, that rule no longer applies. This is what the Orthodox Church and lawyers answer when asked whether it is possible to get married without visiting the registry office and officially registering the marriage there.
Orthodox canons
According to them, the church respects state laws and acts in accordance with them. Therefore, in this case, a wedding without registration is impossible. This is done in order to:
- those getting married themselves realized the seriousness of their intentions;
- avoid entering into an alliance between blood relatives, polygamy and other unethical issues.
The ceremony can only be completed by a man and a woman who are officially married. Moreover, they should not be married to someone else. If one of the spouses has already entered into a church union before, then he or she must undergo a rite of dissolution of marriage.
Also, the sacrament is impossible for people of different faiths. Both spouses must be baptized and Orthodox. The church does not marry spiritual relatives, for example, the godparents of one child.
An exception to how to get married in a church without registering a marriage may be the personal friendship of the priest conducting the ceremony and the couple. If he is confident in the union, its legality and purity, then he can take responsibility before God for conducting the sacrament of wedding.
Legislative position
From a legal point of view, a wedding without registration of marriage in the registry office and a certificate about it have no legal force. This procedure, for the most part, is necessary for the newlyweds themselves for the spiritual enrichment and strengthening of their union. Therefore, only registration in the registry office can give spouses the rights of the family, enshrined in the legislative acts of our country.
Thus, the lack of a stamp in the passport can become the main obstacle to getting married in a church.
Are exceptions possible?
There is no canonical ban on holding a wedding ceremony without an official marriage. However, the mere desire of future spouses is not enough. Since not only the young, but also the clergy bear responsibility, each such case is considered individually by the bishop of the corresponding diocese. Only the diocesan bishop gives permission to get married bypassing the rules. Three common reasons for exceptions:
- State registration and the wedding ceremony are scheduled for the same date, several hours apart. If you show the priest an invitation card to the registry office for a certain date indicating the names, he will probably give in and allow the wedding to be held first, and then the painting ceremony at the registry office;
- The presence of extenuating circumstances , for example, during an upcoming operation with a risk to life or before the spouse travels to a “hot spot”, the local diocesan administration will most likely give the go-ahead for the wedding without a state marriage;
- A couple who wants to get married without a stamp in their passport have been obedient parishioners of the church for many years , and the rector of the temple sees their sincere attitude towards each other, he can make an exception. In this case, he takes full responsibility for their union.
Interesting! In Russia, the star couple Anton Makarsky and Victoria Morozova are known, who were married without a wedding ceremony precisely because of the last reason on the list.
In what cases is an exception allowed?
The stories of people entering into church marriage are unique. There are various circumstances that judicial practice interprets as a “human factor”. Priests give permission if there are factors that contribute to circumventing the prohibitions, unless they relate to family relationships and do not contradict the law.
State registration and wedding ceremony on the same day
There is a persistent misconception about the designation of marriage status. Sometimes a civil marriage is a union that is not concluded in the registry office and is not registered by law. This is wrong.
- If the passport bears a government registration stamp, then it is a civil or secular union.
- If the union is not registered anywhere and by anyone, then it is cohabitation.
The church conducts wedding ceremonies only for those who are in a civil marriage. The timing of the wedding after registration is important only for those who want to get married. People who adhere to the Orthodox faith often carry out registration and wedding registration in the registry office on the same day.
Information! The wedding often takes place on a chosen day years after the official registration.
Extenuating circumstances
By decision of a special commission created by the diocesan archpriest, permission can be issued in exceptional cases. It can be obtained by those who, without signing, decided to enter into a church marriage. The circumstance that will allow the bishop to grant permission for a marriage is a situation where one of the spouses is in mortal danger.
It must be understood that circumstances of this type can be different, and clergy bear full responsibility when permitting a wedding without an officially registered marriage certificate. These could be diseases with an unfavorable prognosis for one of the spouses, complex upcoming operations, trips to places where living conditions may threaten life and health. The clergyman carefully studies the materials of the case, turns to a higher priest, awaits a decision and announces it.
Obedient church members for many years
Another exception to a wedding without painting may be permission for a church marriage for those who have been visiting the parish for a long time, are an impeccable parishioner, and follow all the recommendations of the confessor. For such persons, a special exception is made and the ceremony is performed in accordance with the laws of the church.
At the same time, communion, confession, and fasting before the ceremony are increased in time when compared with a wedding after official registration. In addition, the decision can be made on the basis of positive characteristics and the petition of respected parishioners from the same parish. The period for consideration of an application for permission depends on the rules of the church and the conditions of the parish.
Information! A wedding certificate has no legal force and is not recognized by law as a civil marriage, therefore property and other types of claims in the presence of this document are untenable.
A little about weddings and marriage registration
Until 1917, that is, at a time when Russia was a monarchical state, the division of branches of power into ecclesiastical and secular did not exist. Consequently, there were no civil registry offices that would register marriages. All functions of the current registry offices, including marriage registration, were performed in those days by churches and temples. In addition to the wedding, which at that time was considered a full-fledged marriage and did not require any further confirmation (and there was nowhere else to get a marriage document), the churches kept records of the born and deceased citizens of Tsarist Russia.
With the Bolsheviks coming to power, widespread persecution of the church began, the institution of religion was abolished, going to churches became semi-forbidden and not recommended, and weddings were condemned. In order to monitor the status of citizens and their relations, it was decided to create civil registry offices, which partially took over the functions of churches. There is no need to say that at that time there were no trips to the cathedral, and even more so, weddings without marriage registration were cancelled.
Since 1992, Russia, now federal, has happily and successfully reunited ecclesiastical and secular authorities, which has given a new stage of development for the entire country as a whole and for each citizen in particular. Some newlyweds who decide to register their relationship visit both the registry office and the church, while others decide only to get married.
Thus, at present we can say that getting married without registering a marriage is not prohibited, but there are still several nuances to this procedure.
