The sacrament of marriage: problems of implementation in the 18th – early 20th centuries (based on the materials of the Olonets diocese)

Abstract

The article deals with the main problems of the implementation of the marriage sacrament. It was revealed that the legislation on marriage issues in the period under review acquired significant volumes, leading to a comprehensive regulation of the wedding ceremony and the events preceding it. The procedure for the marriage implementation, developed in the legislation, required active and productive interaction from the parish clergy and laity, aimed at identifying obstacles to matrimonial. A number of extremely negative situations are associated with the marriage implementation, caused by certain forms of coercion into matrimonial. Nevertheless, the sacrament of marriage remained the most significant and demanded element in the life cycle of Orthodox peasants.

Keywords

• orthodoxy
• christianity
• believers
• sacraments
• marriage
• clergy
• customs
• traditions
• parishioners
• wedding