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Church. A Detailed Description of Her Liturgical Services and the Rites
and Ceremonies Observed in the Administration of Her Sacraments ' $
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rimony of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church& $ '
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Verification of the bridegroom and bride’s consent
The oath of the bridegroom
The oath of the bride
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Preliminaries
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The priest says the Prayer of Thanksgiving as he incenses
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Prayer of the rings
Blessing of the rings
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The bridegroom to the bride
The bride to the bridegroom
Prayer
Exhortation
Dismissal

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The sign of the cross
Creed and M
Declaration of purpose
Psalms, etc.
The Absolution of the Son and Ps. 50(51)
Invocation with people kneeling
‘Our Father’
The incensing
The ‘Prayer of Thanksgiving’ of St. Basil
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Prayer over the clothes
Other prayer over the clothes
As they put on the clothes
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Prayer to say upon the oil
The priest blesses the oil
While the priest anoints
After the priest has anointed them, he says this prayer
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First prayer over the crowns:
Second prayer over the crowns
The Priest sets the crown upon the head of the bridegroom and the bride
Prayer after the crowns have been placed on their heads
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Prayer of supplication
The priest prays the following upon the bridegroom and the bride and the people
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‘Prayer of Blessing’

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Partaking in the Holy Communion
Blessing for the bridal couple before the final blessing
Final prayer

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The priest verifies the bridegroom and bride’s consent, asking each one in turn. The priest
asks the bridegroom’s consent:
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The priest asks the bride’s consent:

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They confirm their promise with an oath [their hand laid on the Gospel and the Cross].
The priest asks the bridegroom to take the bride’s right hand with his own right hand and
to state:
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The bride, similarly, takes the right hand of the bridegroom in her right hand and saysC
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The bridegroom lays before the priest the rings prepared for the bride and himself. The
priest prays over the rings:
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The priest says the Prayer of Thanksgiving as he incenses.

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The priest says the prayer of the rings:

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At this point, the priest blesses the rings with the cross:
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The priest raises a ring and gives it to the bridegroom. In turn, the bridegroom sets it at
the fourth finger of the left hand of the bride. Holding both the ring and the bride’s finger,
the bridegroom says:
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The bride does the same thing. The priest gives her the ring and she passes it at the fourth
finger of the bridegroom. Then she says:
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At this point, the priest may deliver an . The follows unless the
Service of Matrimony is immediately performed, which is the common practice.

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On the wedding"day, early before the Hallowing. Signing his face with the cross the priest
begins:
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The priest recites the Creed and the “As’arqot.”
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The priest blesses three times with the large cross, saying:
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The priest says the Absolution of the Son and Ps. 50(51).
As people kneel, the priest says:
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People say the ‘Our Father’ and the priest offers the incense.
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The priest says the ‘Prayer of Thanksgiving’ of St. Basil.
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Prayer over the clothes:
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As they put on the clothes:
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Prayer to say upon the oil:
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The priest blesses the oil:
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While the priest anoints their face (forehead, chin and cheeks) and their hands (inside and
outside):
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When the bride is being anointed, the deacon sings a hymn of Yared:
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After the priest has anointed them, he says this prayer:
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The priest says this first prayer over the crowns:
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Second prayer over the crowns:

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Here, the priest blesses the crowns with the cross
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The Priest sets the crown upon the head of the bridegroom as the following verse is sung:
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The Priest sets the crown upon the head of the bride as the following verse is sung:
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The priest, after he has set the crowns on their heads, prays:
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The priest says this prayer of supplication for the bridegroom and the bride:
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The priest prays the following upon the bridegroom and the bride and the people:
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The deacon says:
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The priest has the bridegroom and the bride hold hands while he blesses them with the
cross and says the ‘Prayer of Blessing’.

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The bridegroom and bride then attend The Hallowing and, wrapped in the same garment,
receive the Body and Blood immediately after the newly baptized.
[It is customary that, at this point, everybody leave the church and turn three times
around the church. In the end, all gather before the door of the church.] Before the final
blessing, the priest says this blessing for them both:
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Turned towards the East the priest says this final prayer:
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First of all the priest investigates the decision of both those who ask to be wed, that there
are no impediments to the union according to law, and that they have a relationship that
will not bring about separation until the end. [Same as in the Betrothal above]
If he is answered as is fitting that there are no impediments to the union and that they
agree never to separate until the end, the following prayer is performed upon both.
After the prayer is over, they are administered the body and blood of Christ. For the mar"
riage of Christians is not perfectly lawful without the reception of the body and blood of
Christ.
On the day on which the rite of their Matrimony is to be performed, they go inside5 the
church and stand before the priest.
3the Absolution of the Son 6
The Celebrant says the
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The Celebrant says the Our Father, raises the incense and says the Prayer of Thanksgiving
as usual.
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F C Prayer [= ritual] of Matrimony which is done for the faithful
who, having married [before], divorced and came back through penance ' . : & "$
& & C The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony administered to Divorced Candidates
who come forward in Penitence. , F " "
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Then the Celebrant says the Three Prayers for the Hierarchy, for the Assembly, for Peace;
and the Creed
The Celebrant says:
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And the people say: G
The Celebrant recites the and .
They attend the and receive the body and blood of Christ.
He says the Prayer of Blessing and dismisses the people.
It is completed, the Prayer of the Matrimony of the repentant divorced& which is per"
formed through the body and blood of Christ.
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+ F C It is completed, the Prayer [= ritual] of Matrimony which is

prayed for the persons who, having married [before], came back through penance after they divorced,
marry [again] through the body and blood of Christ.