Maddie James
The unity candle is a candle used in a wedding ceremony to symbolize two people joining in marriage. The lighting of a unity candle is not part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony, and it is not included in the Vatican-approved rite of marriage. However, there is no Vatican prohibition of this add-on, and most parishes allow it if desired by the couple. Some parishes do not permit it, viewing it as a secular incursion into a sacred event that takes the focus away from the central ritual of exchanging vows. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has deemed the symbolism of the unity candle faulty within the ceremony. If used, the couple should light their individual candles from the paschal candle, and these candles should not be extinguished or placed on the altar.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Part of official Catholic wedding ceremony | No |
| Vatican-approved | No |
| Prohibited by the Vatican | No |
| Allowed by most parishes | Yes |
| Secular incursion into a sacred event | Yes |
| Part of Rite of Marriage | No |
| Suggested to be done at the reception | Yes |
| Individual candles lit from the paschal candle | Yes |
| Individual candles not to be extinguished | Yes |
| Unity candle not to be placed on the altar | Yes |
| Symbolizes the joining of two individuals | Yes |
| Unity candle deemed to have faulty symbolism | Yes |
| Unity candle deemed to be Pagan | Yes |
| Unity candle deemed to be secular | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
- The unity candle is not part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony
- Most parishes allow the unity candle ritual
- The candle symbolises the joining of two individuals in marriage
- The candle is lit by the couple using smaller candles
- Some parishes view the unity candle as a secular incursion into a sacred event
The unity candle is not part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony
The unity candle is not included in the Vatican-approved rite of marriage. However, there is no known Vatican prohibition of this "add-on", and most parishes allow it if desired by the couple. Some parishes, however, do not permit it, viewing it as a secular incursion into a sacred event. They argue that it detracts from the central ritual, which is the exchange of vows, and suggest that couples who want to include the unity candle should do so at the reception instead.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has deemed the symbolism of the unity candle as faulty within the ceremony. Some priests do not allow unity candles due to controversy over its pagan origins. The Conference notes that most dioceses do not prohibit the custom but suggest it be done at the reception, as the Rite of Marriage already includes abundant symbols of unity.
If a unity candle is used, there are certain guidelines that are often followed. The couple should light their individual candles from the paschal candle, and these candles should not be extinguished. The unity candle should not be placed on the altar but on a separate, smaller table.
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Most parishes allow the unity candle ritual
The unity candle is not part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony, and it is not included in the Vatican-approved rite of marriage. However, most parishes allow the ritual to be performed during the wedding, and many couples desire it. The unity candle ritual involves the couple each lighting a candle from the paschal candle, which they then use to light a larger candle in the centre together, symbolising their union in marriage.
The unity candle ritual is a relatively new custom, becoming popular in American weddings over the last 30 to 40 years. It is believed to have been popularised by a 1981 episode of the soap opera 'General Hospital'. The practice is not prohibited by most dioceses, but many suggest performing the ritual at the reception, as the Rite of Marriage already includes abundant symbols of unity.
Some parishes do not permit the unity candle ritual, viewing it as a secular addition to a sacred event. There is also controversy over the ritual's symbolism, with some priests believing it to be pagan. These parishes advise that the focus of the wedding should remain on the central ritual of the exchange of vows.
To maintain the sanctity of the ceremony, some priests suggest placing the unity candles on a smaller table, rather than on the altar, which is reserved for the Eucharist. This compromise allows couples to incorporate the unity candle ritual while respecting the sacred nature of the Catholic wedding ceremony.
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The candle symbolises the joining of two individuals in marriage
The unity candle is a candle used in a wedding ceremony to symbolise the joining of two individuals in marriage. The lighting of a unity candle is a relatively new custom in wedding ceremonies, with unclear origins. It first became popular in the second half of the 20th century in American Protestant weddings, and its use may have been popularised by a 1981 episode of the soap opera "General Hospital".
The unity candle ceremony is a symbolic act that represents the union of two people and the blending of two families. The couple each takes a lighted candle, which they use to light a larger unity candle together, signifying 'two becoming one'. This ritual symbolises the joining of two individuals and their families in the bond of marriage.
In a Catholic context, the unity candle is not officially part of the Vatican-approved rite of marriage. However, it is not explicitly prohibited, and most parishes allow it if desired by the couple. Some dioceses suggest performing the unity candle ceremony at the reception, as the Rite of Marriage already includes abundant symbols of unity.
The candle ceremony may be adapted to include additional allusions, such as invoking the Holy Spirit and Jesus within the souls of baptised Christians. The individual candles may remain lit beside the central candle, symbolising the preservation of individuality within the marriage.
Overall, the unity candle ceremony is a meaningful way to symbolise the joining of two individuals in marriage, offering a unique and emotional element to the wedding celebration.
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The candle is lit by the couple using smaller candles
The unity candle is not a part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony. It is not included in the Vatican-approved rite of marriage. However, there is no Vatican prohibition of this “add-on,” and most parishes allow it if the couple desires it. Some parishes do not permit it because they view it as a secular incursion into a sacred event. The Conference has noted that the policies of most dioceses do not prohibit this custom but many suggest that it be done at the reception since the Rite of Marriage already has abundant symbols of unity.
The unity candle ritual generally involves the couple lighting two separate smaller candles, which are then used to light a larger candle in the centre together. This symbolises the union of two individuals and two families becoming one through marriage. The smaller candles represent the couple's individual lives and families, while the larger candle represents the unity and oneness they now share as a married couple.
If the unity candle is permitted and included in a Catholic wedding ceremony, there are certain guidelines that are typically followed. The couple should light their individual candles from the paschal candle, representing the light of Christ. The individual candles should remain lit throughout the ceremony, symbolising that the now-married couple retains their individuality within their union. The unity candle and the individual candles should not be placed on the altar, respecting its sacred purpose for the Eucharist.
The unity candle ceremony is often placed after the exchange of vows and rings, symbolising the couple's unity and commitment to each other. While it adds a special touch to the wedding ceremony, some people view it as an interruption to the flow and participation of the congregation in the mass and rites. As an alternative, some couples choose to include the unity candle ceremony during the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception, where it can still hold symbolic meaning without interfering with the traditional wedding ceremony.
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Some parishes view the unity candle as a secular incursion into a sacred event
The unity candle is a candle used in a wedding ceremony to symbolize two people joining in marriage. The lighting of a unity candle is not a part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony, and it is not included in the Vatican-approved rite of marriage. While most parishes allow it, some parishes do not permit it because they view it as a secular incursion into a sacred event.
The origin of the unity candle ritual is unclear, but it seems to have developed in America over the past 30 to 40 years. One theory is that the practice became popular after it was featured in a 1981 episode of the soap opera "General Hospital". The unity candle ritual may also have been popularized by Dr. Michael Portelli, who is credited with the idea of a "Marriage Candle" and used it in his own wedding in the 1980s.
The unity candle ritual typically involves the parents of the bride and groom or the couple themselves lighting two separate candles, which are then used to light a larger candle in the center, symbolizing the joining of two families and two individuals into one. However, some Catholics view this ritual as a distraction from the central ritual of exchanging vows and the Eucharist, which is considered the true symbol of unity in a Catholic wedding.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has deemed the symbolism of the unity candle as faulty within the ceremony. Some priests do not allow unity candles because of the controversy over its pagan origins. While there is no official Vatican prohibition against the unity candle, parishes that disallow it suggest that couples who want to use it do so at the wedding reception rather than during the sacred ceremony.
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Frequently asked questions
The unity candle is not part of the official Catholic wedding ceremony, but most parishes allow it if desired by the couple.
There is no Vatican prohibition on the unity candle ritual, but some parishes do not permit it as they view it as a secular incursion into a sacred event.
The unity candle symbolises the joining of two individuals in marriage, with two taper candles lit by each member of the marrying couple, which are then used to light a larger pillar candle in the centre.
Some view the unity candle as an unnecessary addition to an already symbolically rich Catholic wedding ceremony. Others see it as faulty symbolism or even insulting, as the union actually happens in the Eucharist.
If permitted, the couple should light their individual candles from the paschal candle, and the individual candles should not be extinguished. The unity candle should not be placed on the altar.
