Greek Orthodox marrying a Buddhist

[JS_Cortez]

I know that in the Greek Orthodox Church it is required to be married inside the church and to be married to a Christian baptized in the Trinitarian formula (though an Orthodox Christian is preferred) and that the children should be raised Orthodox. If someone doesn’t do so, they have to marry outside of the church and lose sacramental privileges.

So, if a Greek Orthodox married a Buddhist (never baptized) outside of the church, they would no longer be admitted to communion. Can they also not go to Confession? Can they baptize their children Orthodox? Is marrying outside of the church like this a risk to their immoral soul?

 

[Vico]

I know that in the Greek Orthodox Church it is required to be married inside the church and to be married to a Christian baptized in the Trinitarian formula (though an Orthodox Christian is preferred) and that the children should be raised Orthodox. If someone doesn’t do so, they have to marry outside of the church and lose sacramental privileges.

So, if a Greek Orthodox married a Buddhist (never baptized) outside of the church, they would no longer be admitted to communion. Can they also not go to Confession? Can they baptize their children Orthodox? Is marrying outside of the church like this a risk to their immoral soul?

Opposing the Church on marriage is a matter that endangers the soul.

It is necessary for the Orthodox Christian that married outside the Church, to be reconciled with the Church by having the marriage blessed by the Orthodox Church, so both must be baptized first.

 

[Bithynian]

Greek Orthodox

In terms of any canonical penalty, it will vary significantly between GO dioceses and parishes, depending on the priest or bishop’s perception of the disciplinary and pastoral nature of each case.

In Australia, I know of some priests have a more conciliatory attitude towards GO who marry a non-Christian due to the very multicultural nature of our society, and will often readmit the GO to the sacraments after some time. On the other hand, I know of some Church of Greece metropolitans who require that Protestants are to be understood as non-Christians with regard to marriage, and I would imagine that GO married to such would be under more significant disciplinary measures in their metropolitanates.

 

[ReaderT]

Can they also not go to Confession? Can they baptize their children Orthodox? Is marrying outside of the church like this a risk to their immoral soul?

Before I comment on your questions it would be good to point this out: no matter what your beliefs are (Orthodox, secular, Wiccan, whatever), you’ll want to marry someone with the same view of reality as you have. It’s gonna be hard to live or raise children, for example, if Dad is a strict muslim and Mom believes God is a bronze-age fairy tale. You need someone whose worldview is at least compatible to your own.

That being said, to your questions: Bithynian is right that the situation will vary based on the pastoral nature of each case. It’s a “talk to your priest” situation not a “one-size fits all” answer, but in either case it’s incorrect for an Orthodox person to pass up a sacramental wedding and get a legal one. Talk to your priest.

 

[JS_Cortez]

I’m asking for a friend. She (the GO) wanted to be braced for what her priest may say to her before going to him. She loves her fiance and he has no problem raising the children as she wishes, but he isn’t keen to get baptized. (I believe the phrase, “Getting baptized to get married seems contrary to what I know you believe baptism should be” was used by him)

They live in Florida.

 

[CoffeeFanatic]

The only people I know who got a pass (had economia applied to their situation) on the marrying non-Christians thing were born, raised, and married in communist countries. They were 100% ignorant of the faith and had only been baptized (sometimes secretly).

Your friend could not take communion if she persists in marrying a non-Christian. She is excommunicating herself. Readmission to communion would depend on what she is told she has to do in order to come back to the Church. If she is eventually allowed to come back Confession would occur at some point. However, it’s not like she can just go, “Imma do this thing anyway and then go to Confession and it’s all good.”

Orthodox Christians in good standing can have their children baptized Orthodox. I don’t know why someone who doesn’t give a flip about what the Church teaches- to the point she’s going to do what she wants regardless- would care if her kids were baptized, to be honest. One is actively going against the Church and what we’re told in scripture when it comes to marrying outside of the faith.

 

[JS_Cortez]

I don’t know why someone who doesn’t give a flip about what the Church teaches- to the point she’s going to do what she wants regardless- would care if her kids were baptized, to be honest.

I feel like I need to defend my friend a little. This mess is really due to poor catechesis. She didn’t think there was an issue until her grandparents met the man in question and told her there was one. Her parents hadn’t especially known or told her this was a no-go. She has a lot of Catholic (including me) and Protestant friends and assumed it would just require permission like it would with any of them.

 

[Lasse]

Like others have said, an Orthodox marriage is the Sacramental bond of two Christians in communion, struggling to realize and manifest the mystery of the Church. The Church sometimes permits a marriage between an Orthodox Christian and a Latin or Protestant, due to the complexity of the world, but marrying a non Christian is never permitted. No one knows how the Priest will react or if she will be canonically disciplined, however, except the Priest. I feel for your friend and pray that everything will be all right, whatever happens.

 

[Jinghualong]

Am totally agree with him!

 

[MNathaniel]

I don’t understand the most recent comment that brought this thread to the forefront of the feeds again, but I’m glad it did.

I learned something new today.

Never realized that in Orthodoxy it was an excommunicatable offence to marry a non-Christian. If what CoffeeFanatic said was meant to be theologically precise and not figurative.

Your friend could not take communion if she persists in marrying a non-Christian. She is excommunicating herself.

As a Catholic, when I think of Catholic/Orthodox differences on marriage I tend to think of Catholicism as stricter (forbidding divorce and remarriage, however we might editorialize annulments aside). But learning that Orthodox are forbidden from marrying non-Christians rebalances the scale a little in my eyes, haha.

I mean that with no anti-Orthodox judgement at all, by the way. The position I’m seeing put forward here seems perfectly clear and coherent to me. I’m just fascinated to have learned something new today. Cool thread.