Presider ’s Guides (England & Wales)

Text of the Catholic Wedding Service

This document contains the text of the Catholic Wedding Service (wedding without nuptial Mass) as currently authorised for use in England and Wales; it conflates the distinct rites to be used when both spouses are baptised and when one is unbaptized. For the most part, the same texts are used in both cases. Where there are multiple options, option 4 is that for use with a nonbaptised spouse.

Some changes have been made to reflect new E nglish translations: “And with your spirit”, “The Word of the Lord”, and the conclusion of the solemn blessing. The collects and nuptial blessing, however, come from the collection in force since the 1970s, since the Rite of Marriage itself has not been officially updated.

A few choices have been made to pre-select texts from the choice available, for the sake of avoiding multiple options in the corresponding People’s Booklet: the Liturgical Greeting, the response to the bidding prayers, and the Dismissal. Presiders will be well-aware of the other standard options for these from Mass and other liturgies. Where there is a choice of presidential texts specifically for weddings, all options are given below.

This document is formatted so the priest or deacon Presider can print it on A4 paper to be placed into a folder. It can be printed as it is for choices to be made on the fly (use of a colour printer is recommended in this case), or customized to a particular wedding. If customizing remove unwanted options and amend the following using “search-and-replace”:

F1 and F2 – the full forenames of bride and groom respectively.

N1 and N2 – the usual forenames of bride and groom respectively.

S1 and S2 – the current surnames of bride and groom respectively.

R5 with the name of the reader leading the Prayer of the Faithful.

“Deacon” with “Presider” if a priest is presiding and no other cleric is present.

“Deacon” with “Assisting Priest” if a priest is presiding and no deacon is present
but a second priest is assisting.

The Liturgy of the Word is not included in any detail, as the Presider will be familiar with the basic structure. A sample set of Prayers of the Faithful is included, to be edited at will.

Text in red should be omitted when not appropriate – e.g. the prayers for fruitfulness when a couple cannot bear children. In the Nuptial Blessing, where there are two or three opening paragraphs in red, the Presider may choose to retain only the paragraph corresponding to the selected Old Testament reading and omit the others.

Selected Rubrics (or find full tex t online with USA customisation):

Small print is from Chapter III, the rite for unbaptised persons marrying Catholics; an unnumbered rubric at the start of the chapter states: If marriage is celebrated between a Catholic and unbaptized person (either a catechumen or a non-Christian), the rite may be performed in the church or some other suitable place and takes the following form.

39. At the appointed time, the Priest, wearing surplice and white stole (or a white cope, if desired), proceeds with the ministers to the door of the church or, if more suitable, to the altar. (Or n. 55, for an unbaptised spouse, to another appropriate place.) There he greets the bride and bridegroom in a friendly manner, showing that the Church shares their joy.

Where it is desirable that the rite of welcome be omitted, the celebration of matrimony begins at once with the Liturgy of the Word.

40. If there is a procession to the altar, the ministers go first, followed by the priest, and then the bride and bridegroom. According to local custom, they may be escorted by at least their parents and the two witnesses. Meanwhile, the entrance song is sung.

Then the people are greeted, and the prayer is offered, unless a brief pastoral exhortation seems more desirable.

41/56. The liturgy of the word takes place in the usual manner. There may be three readings, the first being from the Old Testament. 56 (unbaptised) continues: If circumstances make it more desirable, there may be a single reading.

42. After the gospel, the priest gives a homily drawn from the sacred text. He speaks about the mystery of Christian marriage, the dignity of wedded love, the grace of the sacrament and the responsibilities of married people, keeping in mind the circumstances of this particular marriage.

57. (Unbaptised:) A homily, drawn from the sacred text, is given and should speak of the obligations of marriage and other appropriate points.

43/58. All stand, including the bride and bridegroom, and the priest addresses them in these or similar words…

( Note, therefore, that the opening paragraph of the Rite of Marriage may be adapted ad lib.)

48. includes the possibility of only the husband giving a ring to the wife, and not vice versa.

49. The general intercessions (prayer of the faithful) and the blessing of the couple take place in this order.

a) First, the priest uses this invitatory of any blessing of the couple (see the first part of nn. 33, 120, 121) or any other, taken from the approved formulas for the general intercessions.

b) Immediately after the invitation, there can be either a brief period of silence, or a series of petitions from the prayer of the faithful with responses by the people. All the petitions should be in harmony with the blessing that follows, but should not duplicate it.

c) Then, omitting the prayer that concludes the prayer of the faithful, the priest extends his hands and blesses the bride and the bridegroom.

65. Facing them, he joins his hands and says: My brothers and sisters, let us ask God for his continued blessings upon this bridegroom and his bride. [The rubrics for the UNBAPTISED scenario has the Presider use the shortest invitatory immediately before the nuptial blessing, as well as proposing use of an invitatory for the Prayer of the Faithful.]

51. The entire rite can be concluded with the Lord’s Prayer and the blessing, whether with the simple form, May almighty God, or with one of the forms in nos. 125-127.
64. If circumstances so require, the blessing of the bride and bridegroom can be omitted.

66. The rite may be concluded with the Lord’s Prayer (or, if the nuptial blessing has been omitted, another prayer by the priest) and a blessing using the customary form, May almighty God bless you or another formula from nos. 125-127

52. If two or more marriages are celebrated at the same time, the questioning before the consent, the consent itself and the acceptance of consent shall always be done individually for each couple; the rest, including the nuptial blessing, is said once for all using the plural form.

53. The rite described above should be used by a deacon who, when a priest cannot be present, has been delegated by the bishop or pastor to assist at the celebration of marriage, and to give the Church’s blessing.

54. If Mass cannot be celebrated and communion is to be distributed during the rite, the Lord’s Prayer is said first. After communion, a reverent silence may be observed for a while, or a psalm or song of praise may be sung or recited. Then comes the prayer, Lord, we who have shared (no. 123, if only the bride and bridegroom receive), or the prayer, God, who in this wondrous sacrament or other suitable prayer.

The rite ends with a blessing, either the simple formula, May almighty God bless you, or one of the forms in nos. 125-127.


Source Texts

The document below was compiled as follows: RM2010 is the 2010 edition of the Roman Missal for England and Wales, and RMEW is the 1971 Rite of Marriage for England and Wales.

Words of greeting are one option from the RM2010.

The Opening Collects 1-4 are from RMEW nn 106-109.

Liturgy of the Word dialogues are from RM2010.

The declaration of freedom and exchange of vows are from RMEW nn 43-46.

The Blessing of Rings, all from RMEW: #0 is from n. 47.1, #1 is n. 111, #2 is n. 110.

Prayer of the Faithful is a composition of the current author, hereby released into the public domain so anyone may adapt or edit.

Nuptial Blessings from RMEW: #1 is n. 33; #2 is n. 120, #3 is n. 121, #4 is n. 65

Preparation for Holy Communion: RM2010.

Prayer After Communion: as given in the Marriage Rite from the 2009 edition of A Shorter Roman Ritual, Midwest Theological Forum.

Final Blessings from RMEW: #1 is n. 125; #2 is n. 126, #3 is n. 127; #4 follows n. 127 with the note “The following additional alternative form is approved for use in England and Wales.”

Invitation to Solemn Blessing and Dismissal from RM2010.


The Catholic Wedding Ceremony – Without Mass

All stand .

Opening Music

First Hymn , sung by all present .

OPENING RITE

Presider: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Presider: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

All: And with you r spirit .

The Presider welcomes all present to the celebration.

Presider: Let us pray.

Presider: (1) Father, you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ’s love for his Church. Hear our prayers for N1 and N2. With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Presider: (2) Father, hear our prayers for N1 and N2, who today are united in marriage before your altar. Give them your blessing and strengthen their love for each other. We ask you this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Presider: (3) Almighty God, hear our prayers for N1 and N2, who have come here today to be united in the sacrament of marriage. Increase their faith in you and in each other, and through them bless your Church with Christian children. We ask you this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Presider: (4) Father, when you created mankind you willed that man and wife should be one. Bind N1 and N2 in the loving union of marriage; and make their love fruitful so that they may be living witnesses to your divine love in the world. We ask you this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.


LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: read by R1

Psalm: read or cantored by R2. Response:

Second Reading: read by R3

Gospel Acclamation: read or cantored by R4.

Verse:

If a cleric of lesser rank than the Presider is to proclaim the Gospel, he bows, saying in a low voice: Your blessing, Father.

The Priest says in a low voice:

May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips,

that you may proclaim his Gospel worthily and well,

in the name of the Father, and of the Son, ? and of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel minister signs himself with the Sign of the Cross and replies:

Amen.

If, however, the Gospel is to be read by one of equal rank to the presider, or the presider himself, the Gospel minister, bowing before the altar, says quietly:

Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,

that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.

Deacon: The Lord be with you.

All: And with you r spirit .

Deacon: a reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew / Mark / Luke / John

All: Glory to You, O Lord.

Deacon: ... The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Homily is then given.

RITE OF MARRIAGE

All s t and.

Presider: (when one party is not baptised) N1 and N2, you have come together in this church so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of the Church’s minister and this community. In this way you will be strengthened to keep mutual and lasting faith with each other and to carry out the other duties of marriage. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions.

Presider: (when both are baptised) N1 and N2, you have come together in this church so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of the Church’s minister and this community. Christ abundantly blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism and now he enriches and strengthens you by a special sacrament so that you may assume the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions.

[The presider is permitted to ad lib “similar words” to those above.]

Presider: N1 and N2, I shall now ask you if you freely undertake the obligations of marriage, and to state that there is no legal impediment to your marriage.

Presider: Are you ready freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Bridegroom: I am.

Bride: I am.

Presider: Are you ready to love and honour each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?

Bridegroom: I am.

Bride: I am.

Presider: Are you ready to accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?

Bridegroom: I am.

Bride: I am.

[The following declarations , necessary for legal validity in England & Wales, may be omitted in a Convalidation:]