|
Speak Now or For Ever Hold Your Peace |
|
|
|
A source of anxiety for some couples is the famous bidding that comes early in the ceremony: "If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace." On television, this always is a dramatic moment. What if someone spoke up? It's rare, but it happens.
The important thing to remember is that the request is very specific. All Marriages at the Church of the Transfiguration must conform to the laws of the State governing the creation of the civil status of Marriage and also to the laws of the Episcopal Church governing the solemnization of Holy Matrimony. Only objections based on a lawful impediment to the Marriage are in order. The congregation are not invited to comment on the couple's moral character or suitability for Marriage. The couple's full disclosure of any potential impediments has removed the possibility of a valid, lawful objection, so long as the couple has been candid during Premarital Counseling. In the unlikely event that someone were to rise to speak, the Officiant would stop the ceremony and confer privately with the person to hear the objection. The objecting party bears the burden of proof that the Marriage is unlawful. Once the Officiant has dispensed with the objection, the ceremony continues. |
