- The Purpose of Marriage:
The Church of North India declares its belief that Christ’s principle, teaching and standard of marriage is a life long union for better or for worse of one man with one woman to the exclusion of all others on either side. It is a union in all the completeness of body, mind and spirit.
Marriage is a part of God’s good purpose in creation. It is not to be entered upon or thought of lightly or selfishly, but responsibly, reverently and in the love which God gives and with which He surrounds us.
It is God’s will that in marriage the love of man and woman should be fulfilled in wholeness of their life together, in mutual companionship, helpfulness and care. By the grace of God this love grows and deepens with the years. Such love in marriage is the foundation of true family life, and when blessed with the gift of children, is God’s appointed way for the continuance of mankind and the bringing up of children in an atmosphere of security and trust (CNI Constitution Part II Chapter VI and CNI Marriage Service section 3).
2. Notice of Intended Marriage
The form of Notice of Intended Marriage (Holy Matrimony) should be filled up and returned to the Presbyter-in-Charge of the Pastorate one week at least before the publication of Notice / the calling of Banns for the first time.
If the parties reside in different pastorates the Notice must be given to the respective Presbyters in which they reside, then the Notice must also be given to the Presbyter-in-Charge of the Pastorate in which they intend to marry.
On receiving the Notice the Presbyter should see that all is in order and that the parties concerned are lawfully free to marry in Church.
Therefore the careful filling of the Notice of the intended marriage and publication of Notice of the intended marriage and publication of Notice/ The calling of Banns is very important.
3. Names of those intending to marry
The Notice/ Banns should be published in the full Christian names and surname of each party, but where a party has legally abandoned his/ her baptismal and family names, his/ her Notice/ Banns should be published in their acquired names.
4 Bonafide Resident in the Pastorate
In order to entitle a person to have Banns published such a person must be a bonafide resident in the pastorate or a member of the congregation.
5. Publication of Notice/ Banns in both Pastorates
“If the person to be married lives in different pastorates, the Banns must be published in both the pastorates. The presbyter of one pastorate shall not solemnise the marriage without a certificate of the Banns being duly published, from the presbyter of the other pastorate.” (CNI Marriage Service and Section 5 above).
The Preliminaries of Marriage
If you wish to be married in Church, you should see your Presbyter-in-Charge before making any arrangements for the marriage. The date can only be fixed after consulting him. In addition, he/ she will wish to prepare you for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
The marriage can take place after either the calling of Banns or obtaining of a License.
- Marriage by Banns:
( 1 ) The Banns must be called in public worship on three separate but not necessarily successive Sundays: the Banns will remain in force for ninety days from the date of their first publication.
( 2) The Banns must be called in the pastorate or pastorates to which the parties belong: in order to entitle a person to have Banns published in a pastorate, such a person must, during the time of publication, be a Bonafide resident in the Pastorate, or a member of the congregation.
( 3 ) When the parties desire to be married by Banns in a church other than that of the Pastorate in which one or both of them reside, the Banns must be called in that church, as well as, in the churches of the pastorates in which the parties respectively reside.
B Marriage by License:
( 1 ) A License to dispense with the calling of Banns can only be obtained from the Bishop of the Diocese or the duly appointed Commissary of the Diocese.
( 2 ) A Marriage by License can take place only after 96 hours from the time of application for a License.
( 3) The fee for an Ordinary License is Rs. 100. A Marriage License is valid for 90 days.
The Marriage of Minors
The Church and the State both require that a person under twenty-one years of age shall have the consent of his or her parents or legal guardian, before the marriage of such persons can take place.