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SHREK--Chapter 17 |
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SHREK--Chapter 17 |
Chapter 17
In the Christian wedding ceremony, there is a part where the priest or minister asks those in attendance know of any reason why the two people should not be married, “Let him speak now or forever hold his peace.” In other words, this is your last chance to say it. If you don’t say it now, then shut up afterwards. This is the part Donkey tells Shrek to wait for, but they found out they have already passed that part in the ceremony.
Where does this come from? In Christian churches it has long been the duty of the priest or minister to determine whether the two people who want to marry are suitable for each other. In many churches, the engaged couple meet with the priest several times for instructions about how to live a married life and get along with each other in a Christian way.
Another common practice that started long ago is the posting of marriage banns. Three weeks before the proposed wedding date, a public announcement is made of the couple’s intent to marry. These banns are issued three times, once each week. In modern times, this announcement will be made in the church for three Sundays prior to the wedding. The original purpose was the same as the announcement made during the wedding ceremony—to allow those who knew of some reason why the couple should not marry to come forward and reveal the truth.
For example, maybe someone has a relative in another town and through gossip finds out that the young man who wants to marry actually has a girlfriend and even a baby in another town. This would be a serious matter and the church would probably find the young man unfit for marriage. And certainly the prospective bride and her parents would want to know this.
Some other situations may not prevent the marriage but may provide some potential obstacles to be overcome or at least revealed. For example, suppose the woman had an abortion several years before when she was a university student far away. For most Christians, abortion is a big sin, and the woman should be really sorry if she wants to remain a member of her church. Her future husband should also know about this because it may affect her future behaviour with regard to pregnancy and having children.