Marriage in Christian tradition.

i) In the Patristic Period. The early Christians took great care to see that the Christians entered into marriage by choosing partners who were members of the faith community because of the deep meaning that they gave to Christian understanding of marriage in Christ which we have explained above. Apart from that there were no Christian marriage rituals, they simply got married according to the civil customs and ceremonies of the day. There was little involvement of the clergy and their presence was notrequired for validit. The only active role of the clergy was the blessings of the spouses a custom that became widespread without becoming obligatory and without a prescribed formula. In some cases there was a Eucharistic celebration at which the newly wed participated and received the blessing. We have evidence of a nuptial Mass in the Roman Sacramentaries from 6th century onwards.

ii) n the Middle Ages. From 11th century onwards, due to instability and weakening of civil authority, the Church took over the civil regulations of marriage. Marrige is  now conducted in  face ecclesiae (in the presence of the Church) and the social elements peculliar to earlier secularform were now incorporated into the marriage liturgy, which had become a liturgical rite conducted by the priest. It is at this time that the Church decides that consent (the Roman juridical; element) and the consummation (the Franco-Germanic personal element) enter as the constitutive elements of marriage. It is Pope Alexander III who declared consent as the essence of the bond of marriage and that the bond is indissoluble only after consummation. Hence the concept of marriage ratum et consummatum.

iii) The Coucil of Trent. The Council of Trent in the polemic against the Reformers stressed the sacramental nature of marriage and the power of the Church to regulate marriage. It also sought to combat the evil of clandestine marriage. It declared that in future the only valid form of marriage for Catholics would be consent declared before a priest and two witnesses. The rite itself became juridical in nature with the focus on consent and ratification of consent by the priest. This form of the rite continued until very recent times.

The teaching of Vatican II. This represents a change of perspective. Some of the major points are:

i) There is a shift from the juridical to the more personalistic concept of marriage 'Contract gives way to the more biblical 'covenant '. "The intimate partnership(foedus=covenant) of life and the love which constitutes the married state is rooted in their irrevocable personal consenr" .

ii) Conjugal love is the concrete essence of Christian marriage , reflecting as it does the covenantal love of Christ for his Church. " He abides with them in order that by their mutual self- giving spouses will love each other with enduring fidelity as he loved the Church and delivered himself for it ".

iii) The terminology of primary and secondary ends is abandoned and the values of marriage are listed without any hierarchical preference.

iv) The sacramentally of marriage is not something added to the marriage union established through human love.. "Authentic married love is taken up into divine love and is ruled and enriched by the redemptive power of Christ and the action of the Church".

v) There is an emphasis on the necessity of faith commitment for the sacrament of marriage. Marriage is  not just between baptized Christians, but between Christifidelies, faithful Christians. All these elements are reflected in the introduction to the New Rite of Marriage.