The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-25
Rus.o-ereek Marri.ts.

Il q
As the marriages service Of the Russo
Greek Church differs considerably from
that of the English. 8 glance at its ch'ei
features may prove interesting Moth
ing can be done in Russia without q
passport. The orthodox Russian may
neither live nor die without one. 1t is
not to be wondered at, then. that mar
rage should be preceded by the pro-
duction of the young peoples pass
ncrts and an exhaustive inquiry into
their birth, breeding, station, calling,
circumstances and orthodoxy. The in
formation thus diligently gathered by
the priest is put down in the parish reg
istry, 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 betrothal,
once a separate ceremony, and not nec-
essarily gone through in church, but
now the immediate prelude to the sac
rament of marriage-the reason as
signed for the change being that in the
interval between the two ceremonies
the betrothed used sometimes to quar-
rel and refuse to carry out their mutual
promises. The betrothal takes place
near the porch. the bridegroom stand
ing on the right, the bride on the left.
The priest takes from him a golden
ring, from her silver one, carries
them to the altar, and there deposits
them as sign that the Almighty sancti-
fies the union. Returning to the young
couple, he gives each lighted taper
and pronounces the blessing. The
deacon invites all present tc pray for
them, that their love may be perfect,
their faith firm, their living pure, their
union fruitful. Then, with another
prayer, the priest places the gold ring
on the bridcgroom's finger, the silver
on the brides, repeating over each three
times: IN, the servant of God. is be-
trothed to M, the servant of God, in the
name of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Ghost. now. ever, and in all eter-
nifty, amen" Then he who stands god
father, .'who answers for the agreement
of the young couple, being himself ex-
perienced 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 spir-
itual JOY and the purity of the motives
by which the betrothed are inspired,
while the rings signify the indissoluble
bond 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 iuferierity in matters of
right. When the bridegroom accepts
the silver ring he shows his willingness
to love and cherish his wife, and con-
descend to her natural weakness. She,
on the other hand, acquires q share in
the rights, privileges and honors of her
husband. The priest prays "that the
Lord may confirm their betrothal 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 the
Holy Synod bring the bctrothal to an
end. 1t will be observed that the
lighted tapers recall similar custom
amongst the Greeks, and the learned
say tnat the gold and silver rings rep
resent the sun and the moon. whose I'M
ion the ancient Slavonians held to be
symbolized in marriage as their de-
scendants 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 kerchief
Ito signify that henceforth they have
but one lot): the officiating priest asks
them if they marry of free will and with
q thorough appreciation of the impor:-
ance 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 crown - as a reward for
the preservation of chastity and as =
sign that they may be the originators of
a 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." Cor. London
Standard. t