BANNS (earlier also bannes, really plural of Lan) OF MARRIAGE. The preliminary pub lic announcement or proclamation, constituting a part of the religious ceremonial of marriage. It \ \ as made conmulsory throughout Christendom by a decree of Ill. at the fourth Lateran Council of 1215, and is still employed both in England and in most Roman Catholic countries as an essential part of the religious celebration of matrimony. It is not necessary to the valid ity of marriage, however, which, in England and the United States, at least, could always be effected by a civil contract without ceremony. The object of this publication was to give noto riety to the act, so that all who had objections to the marriage might be enabled to state them in time. By the English Book of Common Prayer the announcement is remiired to be made in the terms of the rubric prefixed to the marriage service, on three Sundays preceding the cere mony. If any objections are I Itfered, it is the
uty of the clergyman to proceed no farther with the marriage; if, notwithstanding, lie marries the parties, he will lie liable to severe penalties by the ecclesiastical law, though not to an indict ment. According to the old English Canon Law, the publication of banns might be made on holy (lays: but a elmnge was made to Sunday by the first important English Marriage Act, the 26 Ceo. 11., c. 33; and although that at was after -wards superseded by the 4 lien. e. 70, the regulation as to Sunday is still in force.
The custom was continued in the early history of the English Colonies in America, and of the States formed from them. It is now practically obsolete in the United States, except in the Roman Catholic ('lunch, although it is still rec ognized in the statutes of some of the States