FAQs

Question

What is the Mystery of Matrimony, or a Byzantine Crowning Sacrament?

Answer

In the Eastern Christian tradition, particularly within the Byzantine Rite of the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, the sacrament of marriage is known as the Mystery of Matrimony or more specifically the Mystery of Crowning. This holy mystery is understood as one of the seven sacraments through which divine grace flows to sanctify the union of man and woman. Unlike Western rites where the couple administers the sacrament to each other through vows and consent, in the Byzantine tradition the priest confers the mystery by placing ornate crowns upon the heads of the bride and groom. This crowning forms the central and sacramental act of the ceremony, representing the couple as king and queen of their own little household kingdom.