PASTORAL GUIDELINES

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WEDDINGS, DIVORCES, BAPTISMS, FUNERALS, AND MEMORIALS

WEDDINGS

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, for following must be adhered to:

1. No impediment to marriage may exist;

2. A civil marriage license must be obtained from civil authorities;

3. An ecclesiastical marriage license must be obtained from the appropriate diocese;

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, though marriage performed in another Orthodox jurisdiction in communion with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese is also recognized as valid by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese;

6. Before requesting permission from the Bishop for the marriage, the priest must verify: (a) that the parties in question are not already married either in this country or elsewhere; (b) that the party or parties who are members of another parish have obtained a certificate of marriage from the parish to which they belong; (c) that if either or both of the parties are widowed, that he or she present the certificate or the deceased spouse; (d) that if either of 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 baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. A marriage cannot take place in the Orthodox Church between an Orthodox Christian and non-Christian;

10. In the case of mixed marriages 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 which is not in communion with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, or who, if married, is not 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 Not 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 and all Holy Days of Our Lord. A wedding may be conducted on these days only if absolutely necessary, and then only by special permission of the diocesan 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 traditions spare newlyweds and their children many serious problems and strengthen the bonds between them. However, the Orthodox Church blesses mixed marriages under the following conditions:

12. The non-Orthodox must be a Christian who has been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity; and,

13. The couple should be willing to baptize their children in the Orthodox Church and nurture them in accordance with the Orthodox Church.

The Orthodox partner should bear in mind that a married Orthodox Christian 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 sacraments of the Church, including Holy Communion, or to become a Sponsor at an Orthodox wedding, baptism or chrismation. 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 privileges 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 sisters-in-law.

THIRD GROUP: Uncles and Aunts with nieces or nephews.

FOURTH GROUP: First cousins with each other.

FIFTH GROUP: Adoptive parents with adopted children or adopted children with the children of adoptive parents.

SIXTH GROUP: Godparents with godchildren or godparents with the 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 husband 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. Orthodox Christian 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 obtained only a civil divorce and not an ecclesiastical divorce are not permitted to receive Holy Communion or to be sponsors in weddings or godparents in baptismal ceremonies.

BAPTISMS

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

Baptisms may not be conducted on the following days unless it is absolutely necessary and permission is obtained from the diocesan Bishop: December 25-January 6; Holy Week; 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 for the diocesan Bishop.

MEMORIALS

Memorial services may not be held on the following days: from the Saturday of Lazarus through the Sunday of St. Thomas; all the Feast days of our Lord; and on 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 POSITIONS ON CIRCUMCISION, SUICIDE, AUTOPSY AND CREMATION

CIRCUMCISION

It is known that Jews and Moslems practice circumcision for religious reasons. Some doctors deem circumcision 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 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 the difficulties he or she faces. The Orthodox Church denies a Church funeral to a person who has committed suicide, unless a doctor certifies that such person had lost his or her sanity.

AUTOPSY

When the causes of illness have not been diagnosed before a person’s death, doctors with the permission of the next of kin may perform an autopsy. Often an autopsy leads to enlightening observations. Because of this, the Orthodox Church does not prohibit autopsies, 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 the utmost respect to the body.

CREMATION

Various Christian groups, instead of burial, prefer the cremation of the dead, which was customary among many ancient peoples. 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 deliberately 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. Cremation, therefore, is contrary to the faith and tradition of our Church and is forbidden to Orthodox Christians. A Church funeral is denied to a person who has been or will be cremated.

FASTING IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

Just as there are times for feasting in the church, there are also times for fasting. Jesus Christ often fasted and insisted that the people fast as well. Fasting is not a set of dietary laws or legalistic requirements. Rather, when accompanied by prayer, fasting is a spiritual aid which disciplines the body and soul and enables them to strive together to bring the whole person closer to God, especially during the preparation periods for the great feast days of the church.

The Following are Fast Days and Seasons:

14. The day before Ephiphany - January 5

15. The second Wednesday and Friday of Triodion

16. The last week before Great Lent, although dairy products may be eaten even on Wednesday and Friday

17. Great Lent

18. Holy Week

19. Holy Apostles Lent - June 2 - 30

20. Monday following Pentecost

21. Dormition of the Mother of God Lent - August 1 - 14

22. Beheading of St. John the Baptist - August 29

23. Exaltation of the holy Cross - September 14

24. Christmas Lent - November 15 - December 24

25. All Wednesdays and Fridays, except those noted below:

Fast days on Which Fish is Permitted:

26. Annunciation Day - March 25 (If Annunciation day does not fall during Lent, the day is fast-free)

27. Palm Sunday

28. Transfiguration - August 6

The Following Days Are Fast-Free:

29. The first week of Triodion, including Wednesday and Friday

30. Easter Week (Diakainismos or Bright Week)

31. The week following Pentecost

32. December 25 - January 4

NOTES

MOVABLE ECCLESIASTICAL DATES

This four-year chart has the dates of Feast Days which are determined annually on the basis of the date of Holy Pascha (Easter). This ecclesiastical cycle begins with the first day of the Triodion and ends with the Sunday of All Saints, a total of eighteen weeks.

	2002	2003	2004(L)	2005
TRIODION BEGINS	February 24	February 16	February 1	February 21
1^st SATURDAY OF SOULS	March 9	March 1	February 14	March 5
MEAT FARE	March 10	March 2	February 15	March 6
2^nd SATURDAY OF SOULS	March 16	March 8	February 21	March 12
LENT BEGINS	March 18	March 10	February 23	March 14
3^rd SATURDAY OF SOULS	March 23	March 15	February 28	March 19
SUNDAY OF ORTHODOXY	March 24	March 16	February 29	March 20
SAT. OF LAZARUS	April 27	April 19	April 3	April 23
PALM SUNDAY	April 28	April 20	April 4	April 24
HOLY (GOOD) FRIDAY	May 3	April 25	April 9	April 29
ORTHODOX PASCHA	May 5	April 27	April 11	May 1
WESTERN EASTER	March 31	April 20	April 11	March 27
ASCENSION	June 13	June 5	May 20	June 9
SAT. OF SOULS	June 22	June 14	May 29	June 18
PENTECOST	June 23	June 15	May 30	June 19
ALL SAINTS