• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“If we do not love those whom we see, how can we love God, Whom we do not see?” Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

  • Our Team
    • Views from the Choir Loft • “Our Team”
    • Our Editorial Policy
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Saint Antoine Daniel KYRIALE
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Guillaume Couture Gregorian Chant
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Mass in Honor of Saint Noël Chabanel
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

Mutuality vs. Male Headship within Marriage

Fr. David Friel · January 7, 2018

LENTY OF discussion has taken place within the Church over recent years on the topic of marriage. Some of this discussion was occasioned by the new English translation of the marriage ritual (published in 2016). Certainly much of the conversation has also been prompted by the 2014-2015 extraordinary synod on the family and Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation, Amoris laetitia (2016).

Recently, my research interests took me in the direction of marriage, also. I decided to study a host of liturgical rites for marriage throughout history in order to assess their approach to the relationship between husband and wife. In particular, I looked for evidence of rites that stress mutuality between spouses versus rites that stress the headship of the husband.

The result of my research is an article published in Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical Renewal (vol. 21, no. 3, 252-289; full article available here). Antiphon is the journal of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, which bills itself as a multidisciplinary association of Catholic scholars, teachers, pastors, and professionals (including architects, musicians, etc.) that promotes scholarly study and practical renewal of the Church’s liturgy in the Anglophone world.

The title of my article is Mutuality and Male Headship: Liturgical Evidence from Marriage Rituals throughout History. It begins with consideration of the marriage rituals of the Roman Empire and Judaism before proceeding to those of the Christian East and West.

Summarizing the findings of this research is quite difficult, on account of the number of rites consulted and the widely disparate approaches they take. Nevertheless, the following paragraph from the article’s conclusion helps to convey some of what I discovered in concise fashion:

Generalizing quite broadly, the earliest Christian rites could be characterized by their ability to accept differentiation of roles together with equality. The rites of the middle period tend to stress the differences of roles to the exclusion of equality. Finally, in the more modern rites, there is a propensity toward the rejection of role differentiation in the name of total equality.1

As I have noted elsewhere, the marriage rite has historically proven itself to be very adaptable. This exploration of so many marriage rituals revealed to me anew the great richness of the Church’s liturgical theology on marriage.

The same issue of Antiphon also features:

1. An important analysis of Magnum principium by Msgr. Maurizio Barba, S.L.D. (“The Motu Proprio Magnum Principium on the Edition of Liturgical Books in the Vernacular Languages”)

2. An interesting argument for restoring proper order to the Sacraments of Initiation by Joshua Madden, Ph.D. (“‘Circa Aetatem Discretionis’: A Proposal in Favor of Restored Order Confirmation”)

3. A scriptural-liturgical approach to St. John’s Apocalypse by Ian G. Coleman, M.A. (“The Rubrics of Revelation: A Liturgical Reading”)

Access the full articles by becoming a subscriber to Antiphon or by requesting single issues of the journal here.




NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   David M. Friel, “Mutuality and Male Headship: Liturgical Evidence from Marriage Rituals throughout History” Antiphon 21, no. 3 (2017): 287.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Antiphon Journal, Marriage Synod, Nuptial Mass Last Updated: January 22, 2021

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Schola Director Posts ‘Live’ Recording
    As I explained in my article posted earlier today, Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland is actually a Catholic tune (in spite of what some have claimed). The volunteer choir I direct sang that beautiful ADVENT melody last Sunday, and I invite you to listen to the live recording. It will get better the more we sing it.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Message from the Vice-President!
    The Vice-President of the Church Music Association of America, Dr. Horst Buchholz (who also serves as Director of Sacred Music for the Archdiocese of Detroit) sent us an email yesterday regarding the harmonizations (PDF) I composed for the Gregorian Chant psalm tones. Dr. Buchholz says: “Those settings are absolutely exquisite, as I'm used to when it comes from you. Bravo! Well done! Now, as a sequel, if you could write something for accompanying psalms in English that would be awesome.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Requesting Our Advent Eucharistic Hymn
    A young lady named Agnes wrote to us: “Dear Mr. Ostrowski, do you have the PDF score for Ave Corpus Domini set to the ADVENT melody? Last year, we sang the hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland” quite a bit using your contrafactum technique. My choir appreciates the Latin hymns and practice videos, especially in the ADVENT and CHRISTMAS seasons. Your recent article on Gregorian Psalm Tones is a great help to my organist brother, and reminds us of attending VESPERS years ago when we lived in California. Thank you so much for all the effort put into providing these wonderful resources!”   Agnes, if you are listening! Yes, the PDF file you desire can be downloaded for free at the Brébeuf Portal via this URL link. Thanks for writing to us!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

We cannot exaggerate our indebtedness to Dr. Julian’s “Dictionary of Hymnology,” a monumental work, without which we could not have reached the high standard of accuracy, as to both texts and authorship, which we set before us when entering upon our labours.

— Committee for “New English Hymnal” (1906)

Recent Posts

  • What Ever Happened to Advent?
  • An Important Anniversary
  • (Advent, 2nd Sunday) • Introit “Pópulus Sion” Sung According to the Official Rhythm
  • Schola Director Posts ‘Live’ Recording
  • PDF Download • “Lo! He comes with clouds descending” (Advent Hymn) — A Catholic Version!

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2023 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.