Following the Old Testament Law, Jesus Christ taught the uniqueness of human marriage as the most perfect natural expression of God’s love for men, and of his own love for the Church. In the sacrament of marriage, a man and a woman are given the possibility to become one spirit and one flesh in a way which no human love can provide by itself. The Christian sacrament of marriage is obviously available only to those who belong to the Church; that is, only for baptized communicants. This remains the strict teaching and practice of the Orthodox Church today. Because of the tragedy of Christian disunity, however, an Orthodox may be married in the Church with a baptized non-Orthodox Christian. According to the Orthodox teaching, only one marriage can contain the perfect meaning and significance which Christ has given to this reality. Through penance, however, and with the sincere confession of sins and the genuine promise of a good life together, the Orthodox Church does have a service of second marriage for those who have not been able to fulfill the ideal conditions of marriage as taught by Christ.
For the celebration of the sacrament of Marriage
- It is necessary for the spouses to meet with the Parish priest.
- The spouses need to present a civil marriage certificate, baptism certificates and copies of their passports to the priest, and sign a petition addressed to the Metropolitan.
- If the Marriage that is to take place is the second or the third, the original divorce from the immediately previous marriage (civil and religious) are required. In the Orthodox Church, civil marriages are counted (i.e. if someone has had a civil marriage, if they get divorced and then have a religious marriage with another person, this marriage is a second one).
- A marriage between an Orthodox and a non-Christian person (Muslim, Jew, etc.), or with Christian denominations that do not believe in the Holy Trinity is not possible.
Weddings are not celebrated in the following periods:
- During Christmas Fast
- During Great Lent
- During the Holy Apostles’ Fast
- During Dormition Fast