For the Sacramental union of a man and a woman to be proper
in the eyes of the Church, the marriage must be conducted in the Orthodox Church.
For such an ecclesiastical marriage to be valid, the following must be adhered to:

                               1.    No impediment to marriage must exist.
                               2.    A civil marriage license must be obtained from civil authorities.
                               3.    An ecclasiastical marriage license must be obtained from the Greek
                                      Orthodox Archdiocese.
                               4.    The Sacrament of marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox priest
                                      according to the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church.
                               5.    The priest must belong to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese .  However,
                                      marriage performed in another jurisdiction in communion with the Orthodox
                                      Archdiocese is also recognized as valid by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
                               6.    The priest must receive authorization for the marriage from his Diocesean Bishop.
                                      a.    The the parties in question are not already married either in this coutry or
                                             elsewhere.
                                      b.    That the party or parties are members of another parish obtain a certificate
                                             of membership from the poarish to which they belong.
                                      c.    That if either or both parties are widowed, that he or she present the death
                                             certificate of the deceased spouse.
                                      d.    That if either or both of the parties have been divorced and/or have remarried,
                                             whether or not the remarriage was recognized by the Church, that they
                                             present the appropriate certificates.
                               7.    No more than a total of three marriages will be allowed by the Church.
                                8.   When one or both of the parties are divorced, they must obtain an ecclesiastical
                                      divorce as well in order to marry again in the Church.
                                9.    In the case of a mixed marriage, the non-Orthodox partner must be a Christian who
                                       has been baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity.  A marriage cannot take place in
                                   the Orthodox Church between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Christian.
                         10.    In the case of mixed marriage between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Orthodox
                                      Christian, the marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox priest in the Orthodox
                                      Church according to the Orthodox tradition.
                              11.   The sponsor (koumbaros or koumbara) must be an Orthodox Christian in good
                                       standing with the Church.  A person who does not belong to a parish, or who belongs
                                       to a parish which is not in communion with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, or who
                                       if married, isniot married in the Orthodox  Church cannot be a sponsor.  Non-Orthodox
                                       persons may be members of the rest of the wedding party.

                                                   DAYS  WHEN  MARRIAGE  IS  NO PERMITTED

                                                                 January 5-6, Great Lent and Holy Week
                                                    August 1-15, August 29 (Beheading of St. John the Baptist)
                                                              September 14 (Exaltation of the Holy Cross)
                                                                 December 13-25 the day before feastdays.

                All Holy of Our Lord, and Holy Pentecost.  A wedding may be conducted on these days
               only if absolutely necessary and then only by special permission of the Diocean Bishop.

            MIXED MARRIAGES

 It is a fact that the more things a couple holds in common, the more likely it will be that they live their married lives in peace and harmony.  Shared faith and traditons spare newlyweds and their children many serious problems and strengthen the bonds between them.  However, Orthodox Church blesses mixed marriages under the following conditions.
                                  1.    The non-Orthodox partner must be a christian who has been baptised in the name
                                         of the Holy Trinity.
                                  2.    The couple should be willing to baptize their children in the Orthodox Church
                                         and nurture them in accordance with the Orthodox faith The Orthodox partner should bear in mind that a married Orthodox Chirstian whose wedding has not been blessed by the Orthodox Church is no longer in good standing with the Church and consequently does not have the right to receive the sacrament of the Church, including Holy Communion, or to become a sponsor at an Orthodox wedding, baptism or christmation.   An Orthodox Christian who has been married outside the Church and who wishes to be reconciled to the Church, is encouraged to request from his or her local Orthodox priest that his or her marriage be blessed in the Orthodox Church.

A non-Orthodox Christian who marries an Orthodox Christian does not automatically become a member of the Church, and is therefore not permitted to receive Holy Communion or other sacraments of the Church or a Church funeral.  These are privleges of the baptized or chrismated members of the Church.

PROHIBITED MARRIAGES

FIRST GROUP:        Parents with their own children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren.
SECOND GROUP:   Brothers-in-law with sister-in-law.
THIRD GROUP:      Uncles and aunts with nieces and nephews.
FOURTH GROUP:   First cousins with each other.
FIFTH GROUP:        Foster parents with foster children or foster children with children of foster parents.
SIXTH GROUP:       Godparents with godchildren or godparents with parents of godchildren.

 DIVORCES

An ecclesiastical divorce may be granted after a civil decree has been given.  However, the parish priest must exert every effort to reconcile the couple and avert a divorce.  Should the priest fail to bring about reconciliation, he will transmit the petition of the party seeking the ecclesiastical divorce to the Spiritual (Ecclesiastical) Court of the Diocese.  The decree of the civil divorce must accompany this petition.  The petition must include the names and surnames of the hasband and wife, their addresses, the familial surname of the bride and where, when and by which priest the ecclesiastical wedding was conducted .  The petitioner must be in good standing with his or her parish and with the Archdiocese.  Christian Orthodox members of the Greek Orthodox Church who do not have an ecclesiastical divorce when they are separated and have obtained only the civil divorce, may not marry in the Church until receipt of the ecclesiastical divorce.  Members of the Church who have only received a civil divorce and not an ecclestiastical divorce are not permitted to receive Holy Communion or to be sponsors in weddings, and godparents in baptismal ceremonies.

      BAPTISM

A person who wishes to sponsor a candidate for Baptism or/Christmation in the Church must be an Orthodox Christian who is a ember of an Orthodox parish and who is in good standing with the Orthodox Church.  A person who has been excomunicated or anathematized by the Church or who, if married, has married outside the Orthodox Church may not become godparents.

Baptisms may not be conducted on the following days unless it is absolutely necessary and permission is obtained from the Diocese Bishop.
                                                                1.    December 25-January 6
                                                                2.    Holy Week
                                                                3.    Major Feast Days

                                                                                     FUNERALS
Funeral services are allowed any day of the year, except on Sundays, unless it is absolutely necessary and permission is obtained from the Diocean Bishop.

                                                                                     MEMORIALS
Memorial services may not be held on the following days:
                    1.    From the Saturday of Lazarus through the Sunday of St. Thomas
                    2.    All the Feast days of our Lord
                    3.    August 15
                        It is highly recommended that Orthodox Christians offer memorials for their loved ones
                           on the several Saturdays of the Souls which are set aside throughout the year.
 

                                                                CHURCH POSITION ON CIRCUMCISION,
                                                                SUICIDE, AUTOPSY AND CREMATION
CIRCUMCISION:    It is known that Jews and Moslems practice circumcision for religious reasons.  Some doctors
                                    deem circumcisin necessary for reasons of health and cleanliness. The Orthodox Church does
                                    not prohibit circumcision as long as it is not practiced for religious reasons.

SUICIDE:                   Since no one is permitted to take the life of another, no one is permitted to take his or her or
                                    own life, that is to commit suicide.  Suicide is murder and consequently a grave sin.

                                    Committing suicide signifies loss of patience, hope, and faith in God.  A person of faith does
                                    not lose hope, no matter how great the difficulties he or she faces.  The Orthodox Church
                                    denies a Church funeral to a person who has committed suicide.  Only when a doctor certifies
                                    that such a person has lost his or her sanity does the Church permit a Church funeral.

AUTOPSY:                When the cause of illness have not been diagnosed before a person's death, the doctors with
                                    the permission of the next of kin, perform an autopsy.  Often an autopsy leads to enlightening
                                    observations.  Because sof this the Orthodox Church does not prohibit the autopsy of the
                                    dead, although a body may not be given strictly for medical research or experimentation.

                                    Because the human body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Orthodox Church insists that
                                    those who perform the autopsies accord with the utmost respect to the body.

CREAMATION:        Various Christian groups, instead of burial, prefer the cremation of the dead, which was
                                    customary among many ancient people.  The Orthodox Church, however, mindful of the fact
                                    that the human body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit and inspired by the affection toward her
                                    departed children refuses to delibertely destroy the body, and has adopted the burial of the
                                    dead, as it appears in the Catacombs, and in the graves of the Martyrs and Saints.

                                    Creamation, therefore, is contrary to the faith and traditions of our Church and is forbidden to
                                    Orthodox Christians.  A Church funeral is denied to a person who has been or will be
                                    creamated.

                                                                 FASTING IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH
 
 

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