Celebrancy
Encyclopedia
Celebrancy is a movement to provide agents to officiate at ceremonies often reserved in law to clergy
or officers of the courts. These agents, generally referred to as "celebrants", perform weddings, funerals, and other life ceremonies for those who do not want a traditional religious ceremony.
and religious
aspects of marriages, and often one realm does not recognize the acts of the other. In the United States
, however, clergy (and in some jurisdictions, the couple themselves, in a self-uniting marriage
) perform legally binding weddings. However, in most states weddings not performed by such clergy must be performed by an officer of the court, such as a judge
or a justice of the peace
. These civil ceremonies typically are simple legal transactions.
In either case many couples felt the lack of the kind of ceremony more typically associated with religious services. In the same manner, funerals and rites of passage have been traditionally the province of the church or synagogue in western culture; those of a secular or unconventionally religious bent had in the past wanted for their own ceremonies.
To meet these needs, various groups arose to sponsor secular "ministers" to formulate and officiate at such rites. Existing humanist
bodies (e.g. the Unitarian Universalist Association
) provide ministers who act as clergy
under the law and are thus empowered to perform legally binding marriages. The Celebrant USA Foundation and Institute
also sponsors and coordinates celebrants separately from religious or ethical societies.
Celebrancy started in Australia
and New Zealand
, where a lack of religious attachments and the prevalence of cremation
led to many people dying and being buried without any sort of ceremony. The movement spread to the United States, where in 2005 Richard Pryor
was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery
in a non-religious service led by Pam Vetter, a secular celebrant trained at the Celebrant Institute.
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
or officers of the courts. These agents, generally referred to as "celebrants", perform weddings, funerals, and other life ceremonies for those who do not want a traditional religious ceremony.
Background
In many countries, there is a division between the civilCivil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
and religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
aspects of marriages, and often one realm does not recognize the acts of the other. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, however, clergy (and in some jurisdictions, the couple themselves, in a self-uniting marriage
Self-uniting marriage
A self-uniting marriage is one in which the couple are married without the presence of a third-party officiant. Although non-denominational, this method of getting married is sometimes referred to as a "Quaker Marriage"....
) perform legally binding weddings. However, in most states weddings not performed by such clergy must be performed by an officer of the court, such as a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
or a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. These civil ceremonies typically are simple legal transactions.
In either case many couples felt the lack of the kind of ceremony more typically associated with religious services. In the same manner, funerals and rites of passage have been traditionally the province of the church or synagogue in western culture; those of a secular or unconventionally religious bent had in the past wanted for their own ceremonies.
To meet these needs, various groups arose to sponsor secular "ministers" to formulate and officiate at such rites. Existing humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
bodies (e.g. the Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
) provide ministers who act as clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
under the law and are thus empowered to perform legally binding marriages. The Celebrant USA Foundation and Institute
Celebrant USA Foundation and Institute
The Celebrant Foundation & Institute is a 501 non-profit educational organization dedicated to the education, training and certification of professional secular officiants known as Life-Cycle Celebrants...
also sponsors and coordinates celebrants separately from religious or ethical societies.
Celebrancy started in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where a lack of religious attachments and the prevalence of cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
led to many people dying and being buried without any sort of ceremony. The movement spread to the United States, where in 2005 Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in a non-religious service led by Pam Vetter, a secular celebrant trained at the Celebrant Institute.