Marrying a non Christian

[Jean-Serge]

You can find the answer to this question in the Manual of Confession by Saint Nikodemos; I have it but stored somewhere... He addresses the topics after the canons of Saint John the Faster. As far as I remember, the consequence is no communion at all, but water of Theophany is allowed. Confession is allowed of course because people keep on sinning and they need to confess the other sins they commit and get absolution for them. But for the one of entering in such marriage, as stated previously, the 2 options are: divorce or conversion of the spouse followed by a wedding at church. I will try to post the extract I have in mind. By the way, this also concerns as far as I remember the case of weddings with non-orthodox christians according to the Manual of Confession. Let me have some days to find the book and the extract.

[Barbara]

Thank you very much, Jean-Serge. Very helpful, and may all newcomers to Orthodoxy and especially to True Orthodoxy who
may be browsing here keep this in mind. World Orthodox don't probably teach this any more ?
I have to go back through the earlier posts which I saw but did not have time to read in detail yesterday.

[KOSTACC]

Thank you very much, Jean-Serge. Very helpful, and may all newcomers to Orthodoxy and especially to True Orthodoxy who
may be browsing here keep this in mind. World Orthodox don't probably teach this any more ?
I have to go back through the earlier posts which I saw but did not have time to read in detail yesterday.

No, actually it's not acceptable in Greek World Orthodox Churches from what I've read. I have a cousin, World Orthodox, who married a Jewish woman long ago. Both sets of parents where upset by the situation but eventually went along with it. They had to marry in a civil ceremony. The marriage fizzle out in a short time. He's been remarried to a Catholic woman for many years now but from what I gather neither one is really too religious, if at all.

"For example, an Orthodox Christian who marries in a non-Orthodox Church is automatically excommunicated until the marriage is blessed in the Orthodox Church. With separation and divorce, spouses are usually excluded from communion until they reconcile with one another or they receive an ecclesiastical divorce from the diocese. An Orthodox Christian co-habitating without a proper marriage ceremony also is excommunicated."
http://www.stgeorgegoc.org/PastorsCorne ... ation.html

This is from a Jewish forum
http://www.interfaithfamily.com/blog/fo ... -orthodox/

There plenty more if you do a search to back up that it's not acceptable, even in World Orthodoxy, at least it's not on paper

[jgress]

I think I found the passage Jean-Serge was referring to. It's appendix D to his commentary on the canons of St John the Faster:

Concerning Marriage between an Orthodox and a Heretic

Canon 14 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, Canons 10 and 31 of Laodicaea, and Canon 29 of Carthage forbid Orthodox Christians from marrying heretics. Canon 72 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council dissolves the marriage between an Orthodox Christian man or woman and a heretic and renders it invalid. Balsamon says that an Orthodox person who married a non-Orthodox or heretic is not permitted to commune in the divine Mysteries, unless they first separate and are penanced. Symeon of Thessaloniki says the same thing, adding that the person is not to receive Communion until the end of their life, having the Service of Unction first read over them (if they repent, that is). The priest is neither to remove a portion of the Lamb and commemorate that person at the prothesis, nor accept that person's offerings to the Church, but only sometimes to accept candles and incense, and sometimes (not always) give that person holy water and antidoron, in order that he may not fall into despair and to direct him to give alms. The Codex (of Justinian), Book I, Title 5, Ordinance 12, says that if there is a dispute between the parents (who managed in some way to get married), the parent who desires to make the children Orthodox is to prevail. Ordinance 18 of this same Title says the same thing.

[jgress]

There is no explicit discussion of confession, though I imagine that, if you are permitted to receive holy water or antidoron, you would also be permitted to go to confession and receive absolution.

[Jean-Serge]

Thank you, I could not search for the passage.