For your enjoyment: A MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN GAY WEDDING CEREMONY
It's from Greek-speaking southern Italy, 1147 CE. Translated by John Boswell and published in "Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe" (1994).
Footnote: "Throughout the initial portion of this text the priest is indicated by a drawing of a head with eyes--what the twentieth century would call a 'happy face.' That this means 'the priest' is clear both from the context and from comparison with related versions of the ceremony."
medieval gay wedding
[The priest shall place the holy Gospel on the Gospel stand and they that are to be joined together place their hands on it, holding lighted candles in their left hands. Then shall the priest cense them and say the following:]
Bless us, O Lord. Blessed is the reign of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
[Then the deacon:]
In peace we beseech Thee, O Lord.
For heavenly peace, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
For the peace of the entire world,
medieval gay wedding
we beseech Thee, O Lord.
That these the servants, N. and N., be blessed with thy spiritual benediction, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
That their love abide without offense or scandal all the days of their lives, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
That they be granted all things needed for salvation and enjoyment of life everlasting, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
That the Lord God grant unto them unashamed faithfulness, and sincere love, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
medieval gay wedding
That they and we ourselves be saved from all affliction, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
Have mercy on us, O God.
Have mercy upon me, O Lord, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away with mine offenses.
[The "Lord, have mercy" shall be said three times.]
[The priest shall say:]
Forasmuch as thou art merciful and loving.
[First prayer]
O Lord our God, Ruler of all, who didst fashion humankind after thine image and likeness,
medieval gay wedding
and bestowed upon us power of everlasting life, who didst deem it meet that thy holy apostles Philip and Bartholomew, should be united, not bound unto one another by law of nature but in the manner of a holy spirit and faith, as Thou didst also bless the joining of thy holy martyrs Serge and Bacchus in union of spirit. Send down, most kind Lord, the grace of thy Holy Spirit upon these thy servants, whom thou hast found worthy to be united not by nature but by faith
medieval gay wedding
and a holy spirit. Grant unto them thy grace to love each other in joy without injury or hatred all the days of their lives, with the aid of the all-holy Mother of God and of all thy saints, forasmuch as thou art blessed and glorified everywhere, now and forever.
[Second prayer]
O Lord Our God, who didst command us to love one another and to forgive each other's failings, do Thou, Ruler and most kind lover of good, bless and consecrate these thy servants
medieval gay wedding
who love each other with a love of the soul and have come into thy holy church to be blessed. Grant unto them unashamed fidelity, sincere love, and as Thou didst vouchsafe unto thy holy disciples and apostles thy peace and love, so also bestow on these servants of thine all things needed for salvation. For to Thee belong all glory, honor, and worship.
[Then shall they kiss the holy Gospel and the priest and one another, and he shall dismiss them, saying:]
medieval gay wedding
@alpine_thistle they kiss the priest? was that historically a thing in hetero weddings also?
medieval gay wedding
@Satsuma I think so? As far as I can tell (in one of the hetero ceremonies that is included for comparison) sometimes they would exchange the "kiss of peace" with the priest separately from The Wedding Kiss