The Sacrament of Marriage - a Brief Historical Overview – Part I
Introduction
Countless treatises have already been written on marriage. Being so closely related to the life of every human being, various aspects of married life have always attracted attention from the theoretical and practical point of view. This topic is always current.
The appearance of Christ on earth began a new epoch in her history. His life and teaching are continued by the apostles and their successors. But neither his life nor his teaching was accepted without opposition. His concept of life is completely new and therefore clashes with some views. The ideal he foretells destroys completely human ambitions, so accepting his words, his concept of existence can be compared with a leap into the void. You cannot see the bottom and there is a lot of danger. So, this requires faith in His words and in His person. But this belief is not something static; something that you have once and for all. It is also not something common to all people, but something personal. Therefore, among people, there may be different attitudes towards topics related to Christ. Due to the specific nature of marriage, all these matters related to Christ are also reflected in this sacrament’s institution. For in order to fully answer the question of what marriage is, we need faith. Reason is not enough because it cannot give us answers beyond its scope. For if Christ intervened in matters relating to marriage, we can only receive a full and complete answer to them through faith.
However, although neither reason nor scientific research can replace faith; although they do not provide an exhaustive answer to all the questions raised, they can and should support it. This is where the researcher takes place who, aware of the importance of his work, knows, however, that his answers are not always final. By setting an example, we know that marriage is a sacrament. Faith tells us about it. The researcher's task, however, is to investigate the entire process of the formation of this doctrine. Beginning with the times closest to Christ, he must go through successive stages up to the present day. He should analyze what Revelation tells us in a scientific way.
This is what we are doing in the text presented here. The following sections show the most important moments in the formation of the doctrine concerning marriage. We limit ourselves only to the historical outline. As far as possible, source texts were used in our analysis. However, in order not to appear mechanically dependent on them, literal quotes have been kept to a minimum. What will be shown in this text is only an outline, a skeleton of something that could assume a more solid framework in the future.
1. The marriage of Christians in the first centuries of the Church
In the first centuries of the Church's existence, most Gentiles who converted to Christianity were already living in marriage. However, this fact was taken as normal. Their marriages, contracted according to the norms or customs of that era, were incorporated with baptism into the whole of Christian life. In the same way, marriages between already baptized persons were contracted according to the laws or customs of the time. Christians used the same principles as Gentiles to get married. This fact, however, did not indicate that their marriages were viewed as secular.
First, the sanctity of marriage was already the heritage of the entire ancient world. All ancient religions held marriage as something sacred.
Secondly, for the Christians themselves, the incarnation of Christ also mattered to their married life. But the first authors whose texts have reached our day are concerned primarily with the moral life of the spouses, in line with the teachings of Jesus. The first synods of the Church do not present any systematic teaching on marriage or the form of marriage. The Church admits the authority of Roman law on this matter. However, this is not the case with the moral life. Life in the Lord is the first concern here. Even if some intervention of a bishop or priest is requested at the time of marriage, it is so in connection with moral issues, and not as a result of a desire to establish Church jurisdiction in this area.
Although marriage is not regarded as entirely secular, the participation of the clergy in it was treated as unnecessary. Matters related to the marriage itself, the wedding, and the choice of fiancées depended only on the family, local laws and customs. In all this, the father of the family was always of great importance. He was responsible for the moral life of all those who lived under the roof of his house, and he chose the right spouse for his children.
In this epoch in the history of the Church, there is no indication that marriage is a sacrament as we understand it today. This technical concept will appear in later theological reflection. However, certain elements are emerging that prepare for this. The Church Fathers teach that God guides spouses, strengthens them, unites them (cf. P.ADNÉS, El matrimonio, Barcelona 1969), that marriage is built on God's grace (cf. Conturbatio's Letter to Proba, year 417). They also emphasize that Christ blessed marriage in a special way, sanctified it and raised its dignity. He did this during the Wedding at Cana in Galilee when he turned water into wine. John was moreover commented on much more than the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians (cf. Eph. 5:21–32) - the Great Mystery (the union of Christ with the Church).
One of the first difficulties, and thus one of the first interventions of bishops in the matter of the matrimonial law known today, appeared in connection with the marriage of slaves. According to Roman law, slaves could not marry free persons. Likewise, the relationship between slaves was not strictly regarded as marriage; although it was allowed but it was not treated as a marriage. In contrast, the popes allowed these marriages. These marriages were recognized as marriages in conscience; they were concluded in breach of civil law, but with the bishop's consent.
In the West, bishop intervention was also necessary in some exceptional cases, such as the marriage of clerics or catechumens. However, this was very rarely done. Sometimes the bishop took an active part in the marriage’s ceremony. This was based on the works of mercy of the early Church. The bishop, especially in the East, was responsible for all Christian works of charity. This function, with a special social and Christian dimension, was also expressed in caring for orphans. Therefore, the bishop, in place of his father, was responsible for the marriages of orphans. Even, in some cases, the bishop presided over the wedding ceremony. There are many known cases in this epoch that the bishop plays the decisive role of the father and arranges the marriage of his faithful personally. It should be remembered, however, that it was always done on the general principles according to which marriage was treated as a family matter, and that the legal act of marriage was reserved to the father or possibly a guardian, who in many cases was the bishop.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george