Often you can hear from the bride and groom the sore question: "Is it possible to get married without registration in the registry office?" You can immediately answer: no. Such is the short answer. But there are rare exceptions. What will be discussed in some sections of this article. We will rely only on church laws, the advice of priests, we will describe the experience of living in a marriage for decades. To understand why people are asking such an urgent question, let us return to the recent past, that is, to the beginning of the 1900s, to Tsarist Russia.
Journey to the beginning of the twentieth century
Let's remember the story. Maybe someone's great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers told how Russia was before 1917. Whoever did not happen to listen, be sure to read. It is interesting.
Before the October Revolution, the young people did not wonder whether it was possible to get married without registration, because there was no separation of state and church . All couples were married in church walls. At the same time, the newlyweds became a full-fledged family not only before God, but also before the state.
Before the advent of the Soviet Union, almost all people were believers. None of the couples thought whether to marry him or not. It was a must for everyone. There were no registry offices at that time. But from 1917-1918, special bodies began to appear that register a citizen. The church among people has faded into the background, or there was none at all.
After 80 years, the persecution of the Church ended, people began to rebuild churches and monasteries. Someone has faith in God. Married couples or future husband and wife want to bless the marriage. And then they began to ask: is it possible to get married without registration in the registry office? At first, the unmarried were crowned. But after a while they obliged to show a marriage certificate. Why?
Wedding is a big responsibility
Not every couple acted conscientiously, consecrating their marriage. Parting after the wedding. As many priests say, this is due to the fact that people did not feel responsibility not only for each other, but also before God. After all, when young people come to the registry office, they understand that now they are legally husband and wife, a real family, responsibility appears. And in the Church people can be for the first time, they don’t see God, they can perceive the wedding as a meaningless ceremony. And this is scary. Is it possible to get married without a registry office in this case? Of course no. God will have to answer for such a grave sin as divorce.
It cannot be considered a drawback that they will not marry without a stamp in the passport. On the contrary, this is how a negligent couple is taken away from sin. Currently, in many parishes, priests are talking with couples who decide to go to the altar. There they will answer, you can get married without registration in the registry office or not. This mainly concerns those whom the priest sees for the first time. He knows his confessors, and if the young people understand what they are resolving to, then he may not hold special conversations with them.
Registration and wedding in one day
Currently, you can often see how the bride in a white chic dress goes to the temple arm in arm with the groom. With them are parents, relatives, friends. All smart, funny. It is immediately clear that the young only signed. Anyone can guess, even a non-church person, that they agree on the rite in advance, choose a date. If the bride only comes with a new marriage certificate to the temple, then you can get married without registration? Not. The thing, most likely, is that the priest knows his parishioners, and those who told him in advance that they had submitted an application to the registry office. And if the priest is not familiar with the couple? Nothing prevents the abolition of the wedding ceremony, if on this day the young do not sign.
Are they all crowned?
You can’t go against church canons. Do not crown those who are relatives of the fourth degree inclusive. For instance:
- relatives, cousins, second cousins and children of second cousins aunts or uncles;
- uncle with niece;
- children from one parent (stepbrothers and sisters).
Far from complete list. There are still bans on weddings between the godfathers (those who have a common godson), as well as between godparents and godchildren and their children. Do not crown for the fourth time.
The Church does not bless the marriage of couples with a difference in age of more than 15 years, because in modern society such marriages are fragile and can break up at any time. Is it possible to get married without registration in the registry office? This question can disappear by itself, of course, the priest will answer - no. But any couple can go to the registry office under the condition that there are no legal obstacles (a divorce has not been filed, for example, or less than 18 years of age), here no one will ask who is who, to whom, and how old.
To whom do they make an exception?
As mentioned above, in the church you can ask for marriage, but you only need to present a marriage certificate and make sure that you are in no way relatives: neither in the flesh, nor in spirit. But can you get married without registering in the registry office?
Maybe life is a very difficult situation, for example, one of the lovers is seriously ill. But both love each other. The priest can talk with them about the wedding, confess. As a rule, such serious issues can be decided by the ruling bishop. Who is it? Usually a bishop. In the secular sense of "church governor of the region." Only he can give permission and answer whether it is possible to marry this couple without registration in the registry office.
It must be understood that spiritual responsibility rests not only with the couple, but also with the priest. After all, the wedding rite, however, as well as baptism, is a very serious event.
It’s fashionable to get married today
Modern Russians, having signed in the registry office, are in a hurry to get married. But not all couples immediately go to the temple. You can see both the newlyweds and the elderly spouses under the sacred crowns. The latter, most likely, understood the meaning of the wedding due to some life circumstances. But for them, the wedding order is changing. For example, they no longer pray for childbearing. But the young will have to stay with the responsible priest for a public discussion. Maybe the father will advise you to postpone the wedding until better times. What is the reason? Not prepared spiritually, or maybe not signed yet.
How can you get married without registering a marriage, if this is an even bigger responsibility than painting? What could be the excuse against the registry office? After all, there are practically no prohibitions; the state duty for a stamp in a passport is not so high as not to go there. For weddings in some temples take many times more, and somewhere as a material donation.
And we have been married for a long time
If there are no canonical obstacles, then middle-aged spouses will marry. It is only important to bring a marriage certificate if the priest does not know you. As mentioned earlier, the wedding rank will be shorter than for the young.
They will not be allowed to marry those who are in a civil marriage, and more precisely in prodigal cohabitation. You can’t call each other husband and wife, even if the couple lived together for 10 years. First, register a relationship, and then boldly go down the aisle. Thus, we will answer whether it is possible to get married without registration in the registry office.
Is there a "debunking"?
Unfortunately, modern life is instability. Rare marriages persist forever. Even those who were married in due time cannot be insured against divorce. Why it happens? People have forgotten how to love, endure and forgive. By the way, it is precisely at the confession to the priest that the husband and wife can tell that they did wrong: looked at the beautiful girl, called her husband, were offended by each other, and so on. If the spouses want to get rid of sins and accept each other, then there will be no divorce.
Now let's talk about divorces. Before marriage, my head goes round: can I get married without painting? During a divorce, they ask the question: will they debunk us in the church? There is no such rite.
To make the rite effective
It’s important that you pray to God at the time of your wedding to sanctify your family. It is advisable to carefully listen to what the priest asks of the Lord, and repeat to yourself. What matters is not the movements, details, the correctness of the nods, but the sincere prayers of both spouses.
We talked about how to get married without registration in the registry office. We grasped many points. Any nuances can be resolved only with the priest, ask questions, ask for advice and blessings.