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mikeeh
Guest
Just out of curiosity. Can a married Catholic couple renew their marriage vows anywhere and can anyone “officiate”? Obviously there would be no blessing.
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JerryZ
Guest
Obviously the Church rejoices when a couple endures life adversities and remains faithful.It can be done in the church and officiated by a priest, my parents celebrated their gold anniversary at the church they normally attended, it was a beautiful ceremony, and their regular priest officiated.
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Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
There may not be a formal “rite,” but I have witnessed a priest officiating at vow renewals numerous times after - and occasionally during - a Mass. Was all this illicit? Does the Church not permit the renewal of marriage vows in that no rite is provided
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nodito
Guest
My understanding is that marriage vows can not be renewed because they don’t expire. The vows that bind the couple are just as strong fifty years after the wedding as they are the day of.
But I do like the idea of the couple receiving a blessing on special anniversaries.
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Jeannie52
Guest
I apologize in advance if what I’m going to say sounds a little rude, it’s just the way you worded your post makes the renewal of marriage vows sound watered down and almost meaningless to the Church which is Christs Body.
It comes across as flipant to me. Like the renewal of vows is no big deal; like saying 'ok, the church will give it a blessing or two but it’s not really necessary.
The Pope even sends out an official certificate commemerating a married couple on their milestone Wedding Anniversary. My mom and dad recieved a Papal Certificate commemerating my parents - stated each of their names - and sent them his Papal blessing in celebration of their 25th Anniversary and on their 50th Anniversary. Receiving that Papal certificate was a huge deal to my parents and our whole family and is with me even to this day.
It comes across as flipant to me. Like the renewal of vows is no big deal; like saying 'ok, the church will give it a blessing or two but it’s not really necessary.
The Pope even sends out an official certificate commemerating a married couple on their milestone Wedding Anniversary. My mom and dad recieved a Papal Certificate commemerating my parents - stated each of their names - and sent them his Papal blessing in celebration of their 25th Anniversary and on their 50th Anniversary. Receiving that Papal certificate was a huge deal to my parents and our whole family and is with me even to this day.
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nodito
Guest
In charity, I think perhaps it’s worth considering that the renewal of vows is unnecessary.
Papal blessings are beautiful and requesting one is certainly an appropriate way to mark an anniversary. I see a difference between “renewing” one’s wedding vows, which by nature are permanent, and celebrating important milestones with a Mass or blessing or party.
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Hoosier_Daddy
Guest
why would one need to renew these vows?
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Vico
Guest
From 2001:
CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE SACRAMENTS
DIRECTORY ON POPULAR PIETY AND THE LITURGY
PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
The Feast of the Holy Family
- The feast of the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Sunday in the Christmas octave) is a festive occasion particularly suitable for the celebration of rites or moments of prayer proper to the Christian family. The recollection of Joseph, Mary and Jesus’ going up to Jerusalem, together with other observant Jewish families, for the celebration of the Passover (cf. Lk 2, 41-42), should normally encourage a positive acceptance of the pastoral suggestion that all members of the family attend Mass on this day. This feast day also affords an opportunity for the renewal of our entrustment to the patronage of the Holy Family of Nazareth(120); the blessing of children as provided in the ritual(121); and where opportune, for the renewal of marriage vows taken by the spouses on their wedding day, and also for the exchange of promises between those engaged to be married in which they formalize their desire to found a new Christian family(122).
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html
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Tarpeian_Rock
Guest
Neither do our Baptismal vows “expire,” yet every Easter Vigil we are invited to renew them. And the Rite of Baptism includes the invitation to the assembled congregation “renew now the vows of your own Baptism.” So?
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mikeeh
Guest
Let’s not argue over this. It was what I thought a simple question. Let me ask it another way for clarity. Can a couple “renew” their marriage vows in a symbolic ceremony outside of a church and without an ordain officiant? I ask because I read an article about a couple who got married at Disneyland and while it was sweet I couldn’t imagine myself receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony anywhere but in a church. With that said I think it would be fun to “renew” vows at different locales for anniversary trips. For instance, being in Vegas one year and having an Elvis impersonator “officiate” the anniversary. Or having an anniversary/superhero costume party. Or “renewing” your vows on top of the Eiffel Tower. Is any of this frowned upon? I assume, as (name removed by moderator) mentioned there is no rite for renewing vows, it wouldn’t be a problem.
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FrDavid96
Guest
The Church does indeed have a rite for the renewal of marriage vows.
This is from the Collectio Rituum for the United States (1954 printing by Bruce Publishing)
It’s called Benedictio in Nuptiis Jubilaeis (or Blessing for Wedding Anniversaries)
The priest asks each spouse “N. do you renew and confirm your taking of N. here present for your wedded wife/husband?”
It’s also in the 1962 Roman Ritual. However I don’t have that one at my desk at the moment. The English translations are slightly different in the 2 versions (1954 and 1962). The later version has (at least an option of using) the form where each spouse says “I renew my marriage vow of X years ago…”
Even though it’s not titled “Renewal of Vows” such a renewal clearly takes place.
This is from the Collectio Rituum for the United States (1954 printing by Bruce Publishing)
It’s called Benedictio in Nuptiis Jubilaeis (or Blessing for Wedding Anniversaries)
The priest asks each spouse “N. do you renew and confirm your taking of N. here present for your wedded wife/husband?”
It’s also in the 1962 Roman Ritual. However I don’t have that one at my desk at the moment. The English translations are slightly different in the 2 versions (1954 and 1962). The later version has (at least an option of using) the form where each spouse says “I renew my marriage vow of X years ago…”
Even though it’s not titled “Renewal of Vows” such a renewal clearly takes place.
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Vico
Guest
From a ZENIT article by Father Edward McNamara, LC:
Ordo Celebrandi Matrimonium, editio typica altera (1991), does include in Appendix III: ‘Ordo benedictionis coniugum intra Missam, occasione data anniversarii Matrimonii adhibendus.’ This appendix recommends that on the main anniversaries of marriage, e.g., 25th, 50th, or 60th, a special remembrance of the sacrament may be held within Mass. This includes inviting the couple to renew before God their commitment to live a holy married life. The ‘renewal’ then includes the exchange of a formula between the couple: ‘Blessed are you, Lord, for by your goodness I took N. as my wife/husband.’ And then both together pray a prayer of renewal. A blessing of the rings may also follow. And following the Our Father, there is a special blessing which the priest bestows. Thus, it would seem that the universal Church has indeed proposed such a renewal of commitment to married life, though the terms ‘renewal of vows’ — as you pointed out — is avoided."
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This is correct, of course, although it is not, strictly speaking, a renewal of vows but rather a blessing — and in my original answer I desired to stick to this precise theme.
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FrDavid96
Guest
A married couple certainly “could” do that sort of thing if they choose. By that I mean there’s no canonical penalty for renewing marriage vows in front of an Elvis impersonator.
The only problem I can see would be if it’s done in such a way that it (seems to) be a mockery of the Sacrament of Marriage. Pastorally speaking, I might say to a couple something like this: “do you really think so little of your marriage vows that you are going to renew them while you and everyone else are dressed-up as superheroes?”
No, the Church does not outright forbid this. It’s really a question for the couple to ask themselves if they would really want to do this sort of thing.
Again, pastorally speaking, when a couple has a wedding anniversary, I pull out the Roman Ritual and I offer to do the rite that the Church has already provided and approved.
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FrDavid96
Guest
OK then.
Let’s see if I have this straight.
Reading from the Roman Ritual, I ask the couple “Do you renew and confirm your wedding vow of 25 years ago…?” Each one answers “I do.”
Even though I ask “do you renew…?” they are not renewing their vows.
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dans0622
Guest
I’ve seen a whole range of things being done, from a simple blessing to “repeat your vows now.”
Whatever the “renewal of vows” is or looks like, it has to be essentially different from a repeated celebration of marriage, since that is forbidden (cf. c. 1127.3)…right? And, the more closely the couple comes to actually repeating the vows, the less difference there is.
Dan
Whatever the “renewal of vows” is or looks like, it has to be essentially different from a repeated celebration of marriage, since that is forbidden (cf. c. 1127.3)…right? And, the more closely the couple comes to actually repeating the vows, the less difference there is.
Dan
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FrDavid96
Guest
That’s exactly why priests use (or should use) the ritual books approved by the Church.
I know that when I use the Roman Ritual (or other legitimately approved form) and I do & say exactly what it describes, there is no problem (quite the contrary).
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dans0622
Guest
Indeed. Something I just noticed, though: the 1983 Code of Canon Law has broadened the prohibition to forbidding “another religious celebration…for the purpose of giving or renewing matrimonial consent” (c. 1127.3) while the 1917 Code only prohibited approaching a non-Catholic minister for a second ceremony (c. 1063).
Dan
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Phemie
Guest
The Canadian Marriage Rite includes a renewal of vows. In fact, the same Exchange of Consent is used as in the original ceremony. After the priest’s introduction the Rite sends you back to the beginning of the book to the Exchange of Consent. The indications that this is not a wedding are all in the priest’s address to the couple and the prayers.
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FrDavid96
Guest
One cannot take the quote out of context.
Canon 1127 is dealing specifically with the situation of mixed marriages.
You only quoted half the sentence.
The whole sentence reads:
It is forbidden to have another religious celebration of the same marriage to give or renew matrimonial consent before or after the canonical celebration according to the norm of §1.
It’s obvious that canon 1127 is not addressing the issue of celebrating an anniversary.
Granted, any ceremony which implies that the first marriage somehow “expired” or lacked effect would be forbidden, regardless of how much time has passed; however that’s not the sort of thing we’re discussing.
Again, I’ll say that any priest who is using the liturgical books legitimately approved by the Church can be confident that he is acting legitimately—provided, naturally, that he’s also giving appropriate explanations of what is (and is not) happening.
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EmeraldOak
Guest
My best friend’s sister had an affair. She confessed it to her husband (they are both Catholic), they went to counseling, and then they renewed their wedding vows. I don’t know the specifics of the situation here, but I have seen firsthand that in the case of infidelity it can be very healing for the couple to renew their vows.
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