Marriage is a natural institution, yes, so it predates the establishment of the Church on Earth. That's why bride and groom marry each other, directly. There is no third party necessary to create a marriage, and you don't need to be Christian to marry. 

 Of course you don’t need to be Christian to get married. Why would people think you need to be Christian to get married? What a foolish thing to think! 

 Our understanding of it changed a bit, after the significance, design, and purpose of marriage as a vocation was clarified for us by Christ and St. Paul. Obviously, the sacramental vows of a marriage conducted by a priest are the marital Gold Standard.

People who don't accept marriage as a sacrament will naturally be perplexed by vows of celibacy, as they don't have the religious concept of "vocations". 

 I am not a Roman Catholic. Orthodox and Eastern Christians *do not* say vows. That is more of a much later western development due to western legal code. In orthodox marriages the bride and groom don’t speak really at all. 

 Well, I'm assuming that they have to confirm their assent, somehow. Otherwise, you could just have two random people stand there and marry them, without their consent. 

At least nod, or give a 👍 , or say "I do", or something. 

 Again, there are no vows. There is no “I do” that’s only in western Christianity due to the legal contract aspect of marriage in western theology that *does not exist in eastern theology* it’s considered worldly in eastern theology. In eastern Christianity the priest goes over whether or not the couple consents to being married *before* the wedding. Long before! It is a requirement in order to have a wedding in the first place. After receiving that consent the wedding can take place. Traditionally consent is received prior to the betrothal service which is separate from the wedding service even! But these days those services are often combined. 

 The bride is not given away in orthodox weddings like she is in western weddings (walked down the aisle by a father figure and then handed off to another man) because in eastern theology her being their of her own free will is a requirement for the marriage to take place. 

 Well, okay, that's just a dragged-out version. We also have to voice consent, beforehand, at confession. 

 It’s hard for western Christians to comprehend that there are no vows in orthodox weddings because vows are the main focus of the western weddings but in eastern weddings the main focus is the when the couple is crowned together. That’s why in the east the marriage liturgy is called “the rite of crowning” or the “mystery of crowning” 👑 👑 

 Maria, can you help me understand what “Orthodox Catholic” means. 

I assume this is different than Orthodox. 

 Eastern rite Catholics basically 

 “Catholics” 

 Eastern rite Catholics are in full communion with the Church of Rome which seems to be your church so why are you putting them in “” ??? Weird. I’m not eastern rite I’m Orthodox. 

 He's a real hardliner. It happens. 

 He’s also incorrect lol 

 Insane lmao

I meant what u said 

 So you didn’t mean Eastern Rite Catholics? Why did you say that then? 

 Cuz you should be Catholic 

 You’re telling people who are already Catholic that they should be Catholic? Lol k 

 Papal supremacy 

 Yes you don’t agree with the pope about eastern rite Catholics but you’re a Roman Catholic? Why? 

 lol what 😂 

 You called eastern rite Catholics “Catholics” but the RCC doesn’t teach that and doesn’t even have closed communion or anything. Open to high church Protestants and Orthodox Christians according to canon law that I guess you also don’t agree with? 

 Yea i don’t agree with anything other than what i believe. 

 Honestly had this conversation way too many times I’m sick of it 

 I’ve literally never had a conversation with you before… 

 Oh you’re an independent Catholic? I thought you were Roman Catholic. My bad. 

 What is wrong with you. That’s ridiculous. I never said that.

Find God 

 Are you high?? 

 Find God 

 I’ll take that as a yes 👋 

 Decided to make a bunch of wiki pages, in response. 😅

https://wikistr.com/eastern-rite-catholics*fd208ee8c8f283780a9552896e4823cc9dc6bfd442063889577106940fd927c1 

 I hope he reads your wiki pages!! I muted him after he was saying he was sick of having this discussion as if I had tagged him into it (nobody did he just replied bc he wanted to lol) bc not only have I never discussed this w him before I quite literally have never discussed *anything* w him before and was completely unaware of his existence until yesterday when he had a little meltdown saying “find God” repeatedly and was massively trashing the structure of the church he claims to supposedly be a member of 🤨 

 Don't worry about it. He's been in a grumpy mood since the war broke out, understandably. 

 I’m not worried about it I just muted him and hope his mental health improves since he’s clearly not stable right now 

 The whole existence of your “Church” is cuz of dumb behavior like that

Find God 

 You are incorrect 

 Nope. Orthodox Catholic is interchangeable with Orthodox Christian. This is an OCA church for example: https://image.nostr.build/d7b219f8391ee659dae2af8e8843c8fc53b4243f422aef649d583c732864ffa3.jpg  

 Confusing! What is the purpose of adding “Catholic” when the Orthodox and Catholic schism exists? 

 It literally wasn’t added after the schism. Catholic means universal. That’s why Romans, Orthodox, and most Protestants all say “I believe in one holy catholic apostolic church” in the creed. Anglo-Catholics and old Catholics and orthodox Catholics are all *not* in communion with Roman Catholics. Romans have never owned the word Catholic they’re just the largest group. 

 📝 

 It's like how people from the USA are called "Americans",  but Canadians and etc. are also Americans.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_(disambiguation)