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Marriage and Divorce within the Jewish and Catholic Tradition
The Jewish and Catholic religions deal with marriage and divorce in many different ways. ... A traditional Jewish and Catholic marriage requires several steps before the ceremony can take place. I will discuss the Jewish and Catholic preparation of marriage, the wedding ceremony and the process of divorce. I will first begin with the Jewish preparation for marriage, the wedding ceremony and divorce.
Judaism sees marriage as a fusion of the souls and a partnership for life. Traditionally, Jewish marriages involved matchmaking, which is called the “Shiduch
(Mor). ... ” When a Jewish couple decides to create a partnership for life, the couple needs to prepare for the event. ... Usually a Jewish wedding is held sometime in the afternoon or late in the evening. ... ” Also, the Ketubah protects the woman if the couple ever decides to divorce; he is required to pay a sum of money to her (Mor). ... “It is customary within the Jewish religion for the bride and groom to wear their wedding bands on the right hand, which is considered to be a symbol of strength (Mor). ... Blessed are you Hashem our G-d King of the universe, who formed man in his image -- with the form of a spiritual image he is structured -- and he prepared for him out of that an everlasting structure (marriage). ... ”
Even though a couple takes marriage vows, Jewish people know that divorce is an option because Moses said it was ok. The divorce process within the Jewish religion is quit and easy. “A no-fault document called a get is required to complete the divorce process (Get). ... As long as there is a mutual consent there is no need to state the grounds for divorce. ... The husband and wife need to acknowledge to the Rabbi that they want a divorce and act freely without coercion. ... “After the signing is complete, the divorce takes effect immediately and is final (Get).” In the bible it states, “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and then sends her from his house (Deu, pg 169, 24-1).
It is important to know that there is a big difference between Jewish marriage and divorce compared to Catholic marriage and divorce. I will now explain the processes a Catholic couple goes though on these topics. In Catholicism, marriage is one of the seven holy sacraments. Marriage is only a sacrament when between baptized Christians. When a Catholic couple decides to get married; a man will give the woman an engagement ring. This symbolizes a promise of marriage. The tradition of giving a diamond began with the Italians. ... He will ask for a “baptismal certificate issued within six months of the wedding date, a record of confirmation and a letter of free state issued by the parishes of both parties (Kla, Pg 55).” The couple then will answers questions from the priest to make certain that they plan to enter marriage freely, and that they fully consent to one another. Within the Catholic religion, before a couple says their vows to one another the church requires the couple attends Engaged Encounter. The Jewish religion also offers Engaged Encounter as well; however, it is not a requirement within the Jewish religion. ... It is customary for a Catholic couple not to see one another one day prior to their wedding day. ... Something old signifies the life you had with friends and family previous to the marriage. ... The brides guests are traditionally seated on the left, the grooms on the right (this is reversed for Jewish weddings).
Approximate Word count = 2995
Approximate Pages = 12
(250 words per page double spaced)
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