On reading the document “The Call, the Journey and the Mission” issued by the Bishops of England and Wales (News from Britain and Ireland, 3 January), I noticed with astonishment the wording of the marriage vow quoted: “I promise to be true to you, in joy and in sadness, in sickness and in health; I will love you and honour you all the days of my life.” I gather this is the Continental version and was quoted by Pope Francis.However, the Old Sarum Rite still used in the UK is “I take you, X, as my wedded wife/husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part”.Do the words “to have” mean sexually possess? If they do, as I so believed when I took that
08 January 2015, The Tablet
To have and to hold
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login