Similarities and Differences on Matrimony Between the Religions of Shinto and Catholicism - Term Paper Example

?Matrimony: Shinto vs Catholic Ceremonies Introduction Boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married and then live happily ever after. Marriage, being directly before the “happily ever after” is a celebration of a lifetime. Couples spend their life’s savings in order to organize the most memorable and dreamy wedding. Some even go to great lengths in order to have the most unique and one-of-a-kind wedding. This phenomenon is true for people from all walks of life, from east to west, and for all types of culture and nationality. However, for those who choose to walk on the solid and established path of religious weddings, the options are not as wide and varied. Couples have to follow the prescribed ceremonies laid down by the church. And Shinto and Catholic believers are no exception. This paper shall look into the traditional Shinto and Catholic wedding ceremonies, as well as their similarities and differences. More than the financial or social considerations, couples chose to begin their married life in a religious ceremony for good luck and good life. The belief that a union blessed by God, whoever that might be, will bring marital and financial bliss is the primary motivation for having a religious wedding. Catholic Matrimony Catholicism is centered on the Seven Sacraments, the pillars of the Catholic faith. The word sacrament is derived from the Latin word “Sacramentum” which literally means “a sign of the sacred.” The seven sacraments are Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders. With the sole exception of the sacrament of the Holy Orders which is for the Catholic Clergy, a Catholic is expected to receive all of the six sacraments in that same order. Those who do not marry are said to be called for the vocation of single-blessedness, with strong emphasis on chastity. Among Catholics, marriage is not just a union of two lovers, more importantly it is the union of two souls with Christ. For this reason, the church strictly implements rules for the couple to follow. One of which is the fulfillment of the prerequisite sacraments before marriage. Before two people shall be wed in a Catholic ceremony, both of them must first be baptized into the faith, be reconciled with the Lord through the process of confession with a priest, receive the Eucharist through the communion during mass, and then have their faith confirmed by the Bishop. Ideally, these preparatory acts are often performed years before the intended marriage. Children who are born into the faith are often baptized as infants, go through confession and receive the Eucharist in their early teens, and finally get confirmed in their mid-teen years. However, for those who have just found the faith, the baptism, confession, communion of the Eucharist and confirmation may be done just days before the wedding. The only requirement is that they are performed one after the other and in the same order. Being a catholic sacrament, matrimony within the faith is a religious more than a love affair. The wedding does not just happen on the big day itself. Before the couple will receive the holy sacrament of matrimony, the church does its part in helping the lovers think through their decision to get married. The couple is required to attend a Pre-Cana seminar, which is basically a catechesis designed to prepare the couple for their new life as a catholic couple and parents. Then before the wedding, most churches implement the mandatory call for engaged couples where the church announces to the congregation that the couple intends to get married and whoever should have knowledge of any impediments must inform the church thereof. This is embodied no less in the “Apostolorum Successores” promulgated by the Vatican which states that: Engaged couples should receive appropriate personal preparation for marriage, so as to enable them to live their sacramental union fruitfully, and so as to avoid, as far as possible, situations where the marriage is null through lack of capacity or of true marital consent. The wedding ceremony should be celebrated with proper respect for its religious character (455). On the wedding day, the bride usually wears a white dress which symbolizes purity and a veil over her face which symbolizes chastity and modesty. The groom wears a suit or a tuxedo, however, the cultural and traditional clothing for those who belong to other races are also acceptable. The catholic wedding ceremony is incorporated into the holy mass officiated by the priest. It starts with the dramatic turnover of the bride where the groom awaits at the altar with his parents while the bride walks towards him, escorted by her parents. The bride’s parents then give the bride to the groom and they continue to walk towards the altar. This part symbolizes the voluntary will of the couple to marry each other. Finally, before the mass is started, the priest makes a last and final call for anyone who wish to oppose the marriage, or else “They shall forever hold their peace.” The highlight of the ceremony is the exchange of rings while the couple recites their wedding vows. The occasion is culminated by the kiss after the priest presents them to the congregation as husband and wife. Shinto Matrimony Until the advent of the 20th century, there was no fixed and general pattern for marriage and wedding ceremonies for Shinto Japan. The set of rites being practiced today is apparently patterned after the ceremony performed in 1900 during the wedding of then Crown Prince Yoshihito to Princess Sado (BBC). Weddings celebrated in Shinto ceremonies are called Kekkon-no-Gi  (IHA) and held in a Shinto Shrine although it was also common in the early days to hold the wedding at the bride’s house (Ellwood 90). The bride wears a white silk kimono while the groom wears a black kimono. Just like in any other culture or tradition, white symbolizes the purity of the bride. The wedding rite begins with the purification ritual. But the highlight of the ceremony is the drinking of the sake in the traditional “three times three” fashion (Ellwood 89). This is the equivalent of the exchange of “I do’s” in western weddings. The couple takes three sips on each of the three cups of sake, which are usually in progressive size and colored red (Nicol 15). The toast, called san san kudo in Japanese will bring good luck to the newly weds (Hills 17). The sake is poured into the cups by a Miko, a shrine maiden. They then offer a tamagushi which is a branch of an evergreen tree called sakaki on the altar (BBC). Although the actual matrimony lasts for only around fifteen minutes, there are other rituals directly connected to the matrimony. One of which is the visit to the Shrine of Ise where the bride prays for fertility in a ritual wherein two virgins or shrine maidens rub rice bran on the belly of the bride (Hills 13). Similarities Different as they are, both the Shinto and Catholic wedding place emphasis on the sanctity of matrimony. The two faiths require the marriage to be presided over by a priest and held inside the church or shrine where the believers usually meet to offer their prayers to the Gods. By having the matrimony executed in the House of God, the marriage itself becomes an offering to the gods to whom they pray for bounty and happiness for the newlyweds. Another striking similarity is the use of symbolisms throughout the ceremonies. Both use white clothing for the bride as a symbol of purity. If the Shinto wedding has the drinking of the sake, the Catholic wedding has the exchange of rings. There is also the offering of sakaki for the Shinto and the veil, cord and candles for the Catholics. Moreover, in both Shinto and Catholic marriages, there is great emphasis on the free consent of the marrying parties, which consent is freely professed before the priest as well as their families and friends. Finally, both Shinto and Catholic weddings are followed with much revelry and celebration by everyone in attendance. A wedding is a celebration where families and friends come together to wish the newlyweds good luck and shower them with gifts which they could use as they begin their new life as husband and wife. Differences The two ceremonies are different in the fact that while a Shinto wedding is short and intimate, the catholic wedding is often long and elaborate. While the former lasts only for fifteen minutes, the latter varies from forty-five minutes to two hours depending on the length of the bridal procession, number of songs during the mass and even the number of guests who needs to receive the Eucharist during communion. The grander the wedding, the longer it takes to finish. However, perhaps the most notable difference is that a Shinto wedding is generally associated with the Japanese culture while a Catholic wedding is not tied to any specific race or culture. Anyone who has access to a Shinto Shrine and a priest can have a Shinto wedding while only the members of the Catholic faith are allowed to have a Catholic wedding ceremony. As a matter of fact, inter-faith marriages, that is, a catholic marriage between a baptized catholic and a non-Catholic is allowed but it is performed outside of the holy mass. Another striking difference is the fact that Catholic weddings are held only inside the duly constituted Catholic churches. On the other hand, it is very common nowadays in Japan for their hotels to have Shinto altars as part of hotel features and amenities. Insofar as there is a Shinto altar and there is the presence of a Shinto priest, the couple can be wed in a Shinto wedding ceremony. There is no such restriction on venue like the Catholic has. Finally, while Catholic weddings are very common and popular, Shinto weddings are less known to the point of being exotic. We have seen Catholic weddings in TV and in the movies, but how many of us have witnessed, or at least have seen a Shinto wedding in all its glory? Even the Japanese royal weddings are shielded from the media thus preserving its mysterious character. Conclusion Marriage is both a legal and a social contract. It is legal in the sense that it affects the civil status as well as the proprietary rights of the persons getting married. It is social in the sense that it is imbued with elements of cultural and religious beliefs and practices. Interestingly, marriage does not just unify two persons; it is also a unifying factor for people across generations and across the globe. By following time-honored traditions, younger generations are able to commune with their ancestral roots whenever and wherever they may be. And by celebrating the marriage of two people, one culture is unified with the rest of the world who also celebrate such occasions. More importantly, a look at how people of different race and religion celebrate marriage shows that we are one and the same. Regardless of race and religion, we all celebrate life. We are one in celebrating marriage which is the beginning and the continuation of life. Works Cited: Apostolorum Successores. Accessed on December 2, 2011. Available at http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cbishops/documents/rc_con_cbishops_doc_20040222_apostolorum-successores_en.html Ellwood, Robert. Japanese Religion: The EBook. JBE Online Books. http://www.jbeonlinebooks.org Hills, Ben. Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne. Penguin, 2006 Nicol, C.W. Japan: The Cycle of Life. Kodansha International, 1997 Shinto Weddings. BBC. Accessed on December 2, 2011. Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/ritesrituals/weddings.shtml   Read More