208 THE MEANS OF GRACE 



Sacrament is a most important step, fraught with 

 grave and lasting consequences, the contracting 

 parties should prepare themselves carefully by- 

 cleansing their souls and rekindling their religious 

 ardor. It is the fervent desire of the Church, 

 and in full conformity with her practice, that both 

 bride and groom go to confession and receive 

 Holy Communion immediately, or at least within 

 three days, before marriage. 18 To receive this 

 Sacrament in the state of mortal sin is in itself 

 a mortal sin and a sacrilege. Making a general 

 confession may be advisable, but is not, gener- 

 ally speaking, of obligation. The nupturients 

 should abstain from undue intimacy before mar- 

 riage and when the time has come to plight their 

 troth, they should do so in the presence of the 

 required witnesses. To be canonically valid a 

 promise of marriage must be made in writing and 

 signed by the nupturients, their pastor or bishop, 

 or at least two witnesses. 



Persons engaged to be married should not live together 

 under the same roof. 19 Another thing to be discouraged 

 is too protracted "company-keeping," which, as experi- 



18 Cone. Trident., Sess. XXIV, Ref. Matr., cap. i— Rit. Rom., tit. 

 De Ref. Martr., c. i: "Sancta syno- 7, c. 1, n. 14: "Moncat parochus 

 dits coniuges hortatur, ut, antequatn coniuges, ut ante bentdictionem sa- 

 contrahant, vcl saltern triduo ante cerdotalem in templo suscipiendam in 

 matrimonii consummationem sua eadem domo non cohabitcnt, ncque 

 peccata diligenter confiteantur et ad matrimonium consumment, nee etian, 

 sanctissimum Eucharistiae sacramen- simul tnaneant. nisi aliquibus pro- 

 turn pie accedant." pinquis vel aliis praesentibus." 



19 Cone. Trident., Sess. XXIV, De 



