Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-08-06
Russo-ereek Marriage.

As the marriage service Of the Russo
Greek church differs considerably from
that of the English, "A glance at its chief
features may prove interesting. Moth
ng can be done in Russia without a
passport. The orthodox Russian may
neither live nor die without one. IL IS
not to be WONDERED 1t, then, that mar-
riage should be preceded by the prOduc-
ton of the young peoples passports
and an exhaustive inquiry into their
birth, breeding, station, calling, cir
eumstances and orthodoxy. The infOr-
nation thus diligently gathered by the
priest is put down in the parish regis
try, and the first thing the bride and
bridegroom and their witnesses have to
do is to attest its accuracy with their
signatures. Then follows the betrOth-
al, once separate ceremony, and not
necessarily gone through in church,
but now the Immediate prelude to the
sacrament of marTiage-the reason as
signed for the change being that in the
interval between the two ceremonies
the betrothed used sometimes to quarrel
and refuse to carry out their mutual
promises. The betIothal takes place
near the porch, the bridegroom standing
on the right, the bride on the left. The
priest takes from him golden ring,
from her a silver one, carries them to
the altar, and there deposits them as a
sign that the Almighty sanctiies the
union. Retaining to the young couple,
he gives each a lighted taper and pro-
nOunces the blessing. The deacon in
vites all present TO pray for them, that
their love may be perfect, their faith
firm, their living pure, their union fruit
full. Then, with another prayer, the
priest places the gold ring on the bride
groom's finger, the silver on the brides,
repeating over each three times, IN,
the servant of God, is betrothed to NJ,
the servant of God, IN the name of the
Father; the Son and the Holy Ghost,
now, ever and in all eternity, amen"
Then he who stands godfather, ''who
answers for the agreement of the young
couple, being himself experienced in
married life," removes the rings from
their fingers and replaces them, the
gold on the bride, the silver
ON the bridegroom. The church holds
that the lighted tapers symbolic spiri-
tual joy and the purity of the motives
by which the betrothed are inspired,
while the rings signify the indissoluble
band between them. The bridegroom's
ring is of gold, the brides of silver, to
show the dependence of the-one On the
other and her interioTity in matters OF
right. When the bridegroom accepts
the silver ring he shows his willingness
10 love and cherish his wife and con-
descend to her natural weakness. She,
on the other hand, acquires a share in
the rights, privileges, and hOnoTs of her
husband. The priest prays that the
Lord may confirm their bethrothal in
the faith, unity Of thought, truth and
love, and that the Angel of God may go
with and before them all the days Of
their life.'' Prayer for the car and
tie holy synod bring the betrothal to an
end. 1t will be observed that the light
ed tapers recall a similar custom
amongst the ancient Greeks, and the
learned say that the gold and silver
rings represent the sun and the moon,
whose union the ancient Slavonians
held to be symbolized in marriage as
their decendents that of Christ and the
church. For the marriage itself the
young people advance to the reading
desk in the center of the church and
kneel down before it on one kerchiet
Ito signify that henceforth they have
one lot) the officiating priest ask them
if they marry of free Will and with a
thorough appreciation of the Importance
of the step. Then follow prayers on
behalf of the bridegroom and bride,
that they may be endowed with all vir-
tues and vouchsafed every blessing,
after which the priest places on the
head of each a crown 'as a reward for
the preservation of chastity and as a
sign that they may be the OriginatOrs
of numerous and honorable posterity,
and also to remind them that they are
first to rule their own passions and then
by Gods blessing have dominion upon
earth, according to the word Of the
Lord TO Adam and Eve.