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uncle by the bride’s paternal uncle. This is not done just as a business
transaction, but as a sacred action. Reverently, the uncles kneel on a mat in
front of a lighted lamp, representing Jesus Christ, and say prayers as though
in front of an altar. The elders are really involved in the initiation of the
29
marriage contract. Thus Betrothal is the ritual conclusion of the first stage
of the expression of consent between the two families.

3.7.3 Internal and External Purification before Marriage

St. Thomas Christians consider marriage a sacrament to be
approached with internal and external purity. The reception of the sacrament
of penance and the ceremonial bath form an integral part of the immediate
preparation of marriage among the Knānite families, signifying a new birth
in Christ that leads to personal holiness. The custom of participating in the
sacrament of penance as an immediate preparation for marriage did not exist
among the St. Thomas Christians in earlier days. This can be understood in
a situation where child marriage was prevalent. Moreover, the reception of
30
the sacrament of penance was not frequent among Orientals. But later, the
teaching of the Council of Trent that emphasized confession and receiving
Holy Communion before marriage was welcomed by the St. Thomas
Christians; and repentance and compunction for sin became an important
31
element in the spirituality of St. Thomas Christians. The sacrament of
marriage, being an initiation into a new life of communion between two
persons, means the act of penance before marriage is particularly
significant. It confers on them the necessary grace to begin a new life of
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love in Christ, a life of sharing and forgiving. The Knānite community
pays much attention to the external as well as internal purification. To this
point, they have some particular customs on the eve of the marriage as well
as on the day of marriage.

29
Cf. PULLAPPALLY, JOHN P. M., “Socio-religious Customs of Knānites” (Malayalam),
in J. VELLIAN (ed.), Symposium on Knānites, The Syrian Church Series, Vol. XII,
Kottayam, 1986, p. 106.
30 Cf. KOIKARA, M., The Sacredness of Marriage and Family in the Cultural Milieu of
St. Thomas Christians, Academia Alfonsiana, Rome, 1988, p. 28.
31 Cf. Ibid., p.28.
32
Cf. Ibid., p.29.

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