3rd
The Astonishingly Individualistic Conception of the State and Sacrament of Holy Matrimony as Enshrined in Medieval Canon Law, wherein…
“…by the end of the thirteenth century the sacrament of marriage had come to be defined in such a way that it was the two principals, the man and woman marrying, who made the marriage bond, rather than a priest. The sacramental bond was created by the mutual consent of the two parties, and the two parties alone. Marriage vows did not have to be exchanged in a church, nor was a priest’s presence required. A couple could exchange consent anywhere, anytime…
Neither partner could in theory be married against his or her will, and at the same time no one else’s agreement priest, parent, guardian, or lord-was required to create a canonically valid marriage.”
Quote from: McSheffrey, Shannon, “Place, Space, and Situation: Public and Private in the Making of Marriage in Late-Medieval London,” Speculum, 79:4 (2004), pp. 960-990.
