Moral and Sacramental Guidelines Practical Instruction Marriages
by their legal Pastor.
For the Sacramental union of a man and a woman to be proper in the eyes of the Church the marriage must be performed in the Orthodox Church. For such a marriage to be sacramentally valid, the following must be adhered to:
b. Those desiring marriage must be members in good standing both from a spiritual and temporal perspective in the parish for at least one year prior to the marriage date.
1. No impediment of the marriage may exist, or the necessary dispensations must be obtained before hand from the Hierarch of the Diocese.
c. If either or both parties are widowed, they must present the death certificate of the deceased spouse.
2. A civil marriage license must be obtained from the appropriate civil authorities.
d. If either or both parties have been civilly divorced and have civilly remarried, determination must be made by the Diocesan Tribunal regarding the former marriages and their validity. In such a case no marriage date can be set until a decree is obtained from the Diocesan Tribunal.
3. The Sacrament of Marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox Priest in the Church of the bride in accordance with the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church. 4. The Priest must belong to our Diocese. A marriage performed by another Priest in communion with the Ecumenical Throne is recognized as valid by the entire Orthodox Church. 5. The Pastor must receive necessary dispensations if they are required for the marriage from his Diocesan Hierarch. 6. Before proceeding with arrangements for a marriage the Pastor must verify:
7. No more than a total of three valid marriages are permitted by the Church. 8. When one or both parties is divorced, they must obtain a decree of annulment or of spiritual death of former marriage from the Diocesan Tribunal. 9. In the case of mixed marriage, the non-Orthodox party must be a Christian who is baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. A marriage cannot be solemnized between an Orthodox Christian and a non-baptized person.
a. That parties in question are not already married either in this country or elsewhere. If one of 10. In the case of a mixed marriage the parties is not personally between an Orthodox Christian and a known to the Pastor, a freedom non-Orthodox Christian, the marriage to marry form must be executed 2022
Diocesan Yearbook
217
