The Roman Catholic Sacrament of Marriage, also known as Matrimony, is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is a sacrament of commitment and love between a man and a woman who intend to enter into a lifelong, faithful union.
In the Catholic Church, marriage is considered a sacrament because it is a sacred sign of the love between Christ and his Church. Through the sacrament of marriage, the couple makes a public and lifelong commitment to love and serve one another, and to bring forth children in a loving and nurturing environment.
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a vocation, a calling from God, and that it is a lifelong commitment that is not to be taken lightly. The couple must be free to marry, and must enter into the sacrament freely and with full knowledge and consent.
The sacrament of marriage is usually celebrated during a Mass, in which the couple exchanges their vows before God and the Church. The priest or deacon officiating the ceremony asks the couple to express their consent to marry and to commit themselves to one another in love and fidelity.
The couple is then blessed and rings are exchanged as a symbol of their love and commitment. The priest or deacon then offers a blessing and prayers for the couple, and they are pronounced husband and wife.
The Catholic Church recognizes marriage as a lifelong commitment, and therefore does not allow divorce. However, in cases where the marriage has irretrievably broken down and cannot be saved, an annulment may be granted by the Church.
In summary, the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Marriage is a sacrament of commitment and love between a man and a woman who intend to enter into a lifelong, faithful union. It is a sacred sign of the love between Christ and his Church, and is considered a vocation and a calling from God. The sacrament is celebrated during a Mass, in which the couple exchanges their vows and rings, and is blessed and anointed with holy oil. The Catholic Church recognizes marriage as a lifelong commitment, and does not allow divorce, but may grant annulments in certain circumstances.
(E&OE)