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Question 52.
Father your blessing!
In the case of a wedding between an Orthodox Christian and a heterodox,
during the Service, is the crowning part (The servant of God N. is
crowned to the servant of God N.) omitted?
With respect,
Evangelos
Answer to Question 52.
Dear Evangelos,
Strictly speaking and according to the canons of the
Church, marriage between an Orthodox and a Non Orthodox is not
permitted. The Church allows marriage between Orthodox and certain
Christian denominations such as Roman Catholic and Church of England
because it allows the “Economia” rule concerning Baptism. For centuries
after the Great Schism of 1054, some Orthodox Churches applied the
strict rule (“κατ’ ακρίβεια”) and insisted that those entering the
Orthodox Church or being married in the church with an Orthodox had to
be first Baptized an Orthodox. Others applied the “κατ' οικονομίαν” rule
which accepted the Baptism performed by heretical churches and the Non
Orthodox person could be received into the Orthodox Church only with the
anointing of Holy Myron or in the case of marriage remain with his/her
own church and marry in the Orthodox Church because his/her heretical
Baptism is recognized as a true baptism.
In 1875 a Patriarchal and Synodical letter (26 May 1875) examined the
two practices of “κατ’ ακρίβεια” and “κατ' οικονομίαν” and came to a
decision that the issue should rest with each bishop, thus each
Metropolitan of each territory had the authority to either accept a
Latin only through Chrism and a Libel Document where he denounces the
practices of the Latin Church or he could insist that the Latin must be
baptized.
Today the majority of the Orthodox Churches have accepted the practice
of “κατ' οικονομίαν”. This is especially so with the Orthodox Churches
of America and the rest of the Diaspora.
As for the actual service nothing is omitted since the crowning is the
actual marriage in the Orthodox Church and not the exchange of rings
which is the Betrothal service performed just before the Marriage
service.
When mixed marriages with persons from other Christian denominations are
performed the non Orthodox person is asked to sign a declaration that
the children born from the marriage will be baptized and raised as
Orthodox.
In you want to read more on the subject go to the Talks page of the
website and read Talk 55 dated 8/10/09 - Talk on being received through
Chrismation or Baptism.
For a more detailed account go to “INSTRUCTIONS FOR JOINING THE ORTHODOX
CHURCH”, and click on CHAPTER 7 -
CONVERTS FROM OTHER CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
With love in Christ
Fr. Christopher
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