Marriage

[jgress]

I've heard that what sometimes happens is people get married outside the Church they then incur a canonical penalty and have to abstain from Communion for a certain time.

What is your jurisdiction, Jean-Serge?

I'm not Jean-Serge, but he answered your question: the canonical penalty for marriage outside the Church is its dissolution. Orthodox Christians should be strongly dissuaded from marrying outside the Orthodox Church.

Sure, but it happens, and I mentioned what I heard about how priests deal with it, which is by imposing a period of penance.

[Maria]

I've heard that what sometimes happens is people get married outside the Church they then incur a canonical penalty and have to abstain from Communion for a certain time.

What is your jurisdiction, Jean-Serge?

I'm not Jean-Serge, but he answered your question: the canonical penalty for marriage outside the Church is its dissolution. Orthodox Christians should be strongly dissuaded from marrying outside the Orthodox Church.

Sure, but it happens, and I mentioned what I heard about how priests deal with it, which is by imposing a period of penance.

I knew an Orthodox Christian who married a Muslim in a non-religious ceremony. When he came back to the states with his new wife, he was penanced for about a year. He was allowed to receive Holy Communion in the OCA even though his wife was Muslim. He said that if he returned to Iraq, he most likely would be killed by the Muslims. His wife is miserable, and he is not happy. Apparently, the OCA allowed him to continue to be married to her even though it is not sacramental.

[Suaidan]

I've heard that what sometimes happens is people get married outside the Church they then incur a canonical penalty and have to abstain from Communion for a certain time.

What is your jurisdiction, Jean-Serge?

I'm not Jean-Serge, but he answered your question: the canonical penalty for marriage outside the Church is its dissolution. Orthodox Christians should be strongly dissuaded from marrying outside the Orthodox Church.

Sure, but it happens, and I mentioned what I heard about how priests deal with it, which is by imposing a period of penance.

Then they were wrong.

The assumption is Orthodox Christians in the Church ask the blessing of the Church. The period of penance is to walk away from it. This isn't difficult. Sorry.

Too much hand-wringing, not enough asking the Church.

Maybe this helps: heterodox who convert ask the Church's guidance. Orthodox should do that before they consider it, because they're Orthodox. Clear?

[Jean-Serge]

I am not sure that we understood the same by "OUTSIDE THE CHURCH". Do you mean two orthodox marrying one another in a non orthodox ceremony; or an orthodox marrying a non-orthodox in a non-orthodox ceremony?

[jgress]

Then they were wrong.

The assumption is Orthodox Christians in the Church ask the blessing of the Church. The period of penance is to walk away from it. This isn't difficult. Sorry.

Too much hand-wringing, not enough asking the Church.

Maybe this helps: heterodox who convert ask the Church's guidance. Orthodox should do that before they consider it, because they're Orthodox. Clear?

WIth all due respect, you aren't a priest or a bishop and I'm not sure if you have the necessary pastoral training or experience to dictate how sinners should be penanced.

[Jean-Serge]

I agree with Joseph. The options according to the Manual of Confession of Saint Nikodemos would have been for the one having civilly married a muslim

• they divorce
• she converts and they marry in an orthodox wedding
• or she is penanced and cannot commune until one of the 2 previous options occur but can take holy water and antidoron

The Constantinople diocese in the US clearly states in his site that no church wedding means being barred from communion; so sometines, even Constantinople can be quite serious on some topics. There is a general problem in Western countries that people want the church to fit their mentalities and their way of life instead of the opposite. At the same time, some churches are afraid of losing their members,that would go to the next church, that they will be lenient.

[Suaidan]

Then they were wrong.

The assumption is Orthodox Christians in the Church ask the blessing of the Church. The period of penance is to walk away from it. This isn't difficult. Sorry.

Too much hand-wringing, not enough asking the Church.

Maybe this helps: heterodox who convert ask the Church's guidance. Orthodox should do that before they consider it, because they're Orthodox. Clear?

WIth all due respect, you aren't a priest or a bishop and I'm not sure if you have the necessary pastoral training or experience to dictate how sinners should be penanced.

Likewise, this entire thread should be in the hands of a priest or Bishop, rather than a group of laypeople and a cranky deacon. (If I missed any clerics, apologies)