It’s like the unity among vegetarians or Red Sox fans. To Catholics, the Orthodox Church looks like chaos.īut from an Orthodox perspective, unity is created by believing the same things. Instead, the church appears to be a jumble of national and ethnic bodies (a situation even more confused in the U.S. When Roman Catholics look at Orthodoxy, they don’t see a centralized, global institution. This kind of unity makes immediate sense to Americans: Whatever their disagreements, everyone salutes the flag, and all Catholics salute, if not technically obey, Rome’s magisterium. What holds things together is membership. Within that unity there can be diversity not everyone agrees with official teaching, some very loudly. But it comes down to two words: "unity" and "chaos."įrom a Roman Catholic perspective, unity is created by the institution of the church. The Orthodox Church is smaller and less powerful, so we don’t get much opportunity to explain how things seem from our perspective. A Catholic friend tells me that the attitude seems to be: "Take this olive branch and shove it." Pope John Paul II even said that the extent of papal power-over which the two churches split in the 11th century-could be "open to a new situation." Both churches hold as ideal a united body with Rome as "first among equals." Yet the Orthodox drag their feet, sometimes seeming downright rude. Catholics have been making friendly overtures for more than a decade now. It is my own Orthodox brethren who appear to be the cranky partners. The dispute that split them is a thousand years old. Each church claims roots in earliest Christian history. Outsiders may wonder: Why don’t those two venerable denominations just kiss and make up? From the outside, they look a lot alike. In comments to delegates of the Patriarch of Constantinople on June 30, the pope explained that "the unity we seek is neither absorption nor fusion, but respect for the multiform fullness of the Church." "The need is felt to join forces and spare no energies" to renew dialogue between Catholic and Orthodox Christians, said Pope Benedict XVI. Pour out your blessings upon those we loveĪnd upon this meal we are about to share.įill our hearts with gratitude and enduring confidence.Īnd may the joy of this day sustain us, comfort us,Īnd bring us hope all the days of our married life.Originally published by The Wall Street Journal, Jul 15, 2005. We now light this candle to remind us of our unbreakable bond.Įach takes a taper and from them light the unity candle. The two tapers may be lit ahead of time as your guests are entering or you might ask your best man and maid or matron of honor (or two other guests) to light these just before the prayer begins. Unity Candle Ceremony Option 2: A Couple’s Prayer ![]() Which we are about to receive from thy bounty,Īlternatively, the prayer leader ends with: That we now share because of this happy day. May it nourish our bodies and strengthen the bonds of love We ask you to pour out your blessing on this meal we are about to share. Remind them of the unbreakable bond they now share.Įach of you then takes a taper candle and together light the unity candle. May they know the comfort of loving friends and enduring faith.Īnd may they grow old together, secure in your friendship and tender care. May they embrace the challenge and beauty of Christian marriageĪnd gratefully welcome children, should they be so blessed. May their joy be abundant and their sorrows few. It is divided into sections to accommodate more than one prayer leader.Īnd for God’s blessing on this meal we are about to share. The following blessing prayer is prayed by one or more of your parents. The groom’s parent(s) light one taper and the bride’s parent(s) the other. Unity Candle Ceremony Option 1: A Parents’ Prayer ![]() One of you may want to do this or perhaps invite one of your parents to do this since together you are all hosting the event. Just before mealtime, have someone invite your guests to take their places and focus their attention at the head table for a brief prayer. ![]() Place the unity candle on or near the table where the wedding party will sit. Catholic Unity Candle Ceremony Preparations The first option calls for your parents to offer a blessing and the second option calls for the two of you to do so. The unity candle symbolizes two lives now joined together in marriage and can be easily and elegantly incorporated into a meal prayer at your wedding reception.īelow you will find two Catholic unity candle ceremony options that you can adapt to fit your particular setting. Many couples like the simple ritual of lighting a unity candle, a practice that is not part of the Rite of Marriage in the Catholic Church and is, in fact, prohibited in many parishes (see Together for Life, p.
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