Hello,

I have been going to a Melkite parish in the DC area for over a year now and have come to hear or read from Eastern Christians that marriage does not end at death. In trying to talk with the Catholic yahoo group (whose moderators are, as far as I'm aware, well informed Romans) on this subject here is the responses I got:
1)Frankly, the point amounts to tilting at windmills, like Don Quixote in The Man From Lamancha.

Jesus answers this question in the Gospel of Matthew. At this point both the Pharisees and the Sadducees are trying to trap Jesus with their pathetic attempts at trick questions --- for the Son of God. Pay close attention to what Jesus says in answer to this question in Chpt 22 of Matthew's Gospel. THE SADDUCEES DIDN'T BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION - WHICH IS WHY THEY ASKED THEIR DULL QUESTION:

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On that day Sadducees approached him, saying that there is no resurrection. They put this question to him,
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saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'
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Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died and, having no descendants, left his wife to his brother.
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The same happened with the second and the third, through all seven.
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Finally the woman died.
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NOW AT THE RESURRECTION, OF THE SEVEN, WHOSE WIFE WILL SHE BE? FOR THEY ALL HAD BEEN MARRIED TO HER."
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17<http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew22.htm#foot17> JESUS SAID to them in reply, "YOU ARE MISLED BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURES OR THE POSER OF GOD.
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AT THE RESURRECTION THEY neither marry nor are given in marriage but ARE LIKE THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN.
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And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God,
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'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."
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When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

MANUEL: The SAME INCIDENT is recorded in the GOSPEL OF LUKE - with some additional details;

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Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her."
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JESUS SAID TO THEM, "THE CHILDREN OF THIS AGE MARRY AND REMARRY;
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BUT THOSE WHO ARE DEEMED WORTHY TO ATTAIN TO THE COMING AGE AND TO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD NEITHER MARRY NOR ARE GIVEN IN MARRIAGE.
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They can no longer die, FOR THEY ARE LIKE ANGELS; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. 9<http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke20.htm#foot9>
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That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
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and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."
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SOME OF THE SCRIBES SAID IN REPLY, "TEACHER, YOU HAVE ANSWERED WELL."
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AND THEY NO LONGER DARED TO ASK HIM ANYTHING."

MANUEL, even the Scribes knew when to throw in the towel. Jesus told them flat out that the woman with 7 husbands in this life would have none in the next - but would like the rest of those after the Resurrection - live/be like an Angel.

When Our Lord is that clear on something, I don't waste my time giving but His clear answer to any who question an issue which God has so clearly answered.

A CAVEAT: I'm well aware of all the Sadducee-like challenges to Christ's clear meaning - and I don't argue with those who make them. Jesus is clear in 2 Gospels on the matter.

and 2)I'll deal with this additional one, Manuel, and no more - for reasons I will explain later.

Yes, despite what you thought, the Catechism of the Catholic Church DOES teach this distinction between Marriage and the Sacrament of Holy Orders - that one is permanent - and the other is not.

You simply did not know how or where to look.

First: The following is from the USCCB's Website:

http://www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/pdf/priesthood101-bi.pdf<http://www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/pdf/priesthood101-bi.pdf>
"Once a Priest, Always a Priest
When a man is ordained a priest, an indelible spiritual character is placed on his soul. The vocation and missio"WHEN "WHEN A MAN IS ORDAINED A PRIEST, AN INDELIBLE SPIRITUAL CHARACTER IS PLACED ON HIS SOUL. The vocation and mission he receives at Ordination MARK HIM PERMANENTLY. If just reasons exist, a priest can be discharged from his priestly functions, but he cannot become a layman again. ONCE A PRIEST, ALWAYS A PRIEST."

Manuel: There is NO companion teaching about 'once a husband, always a husband'. The there is no such teaching is that the idea is un-Scriptural and runs counter to Tradition.

Marriage ends at the Resurrection because it's primary purpose - the procreation of childen comes to an end at the Resurrection.

Now we read in the Catechism about Baptism & Confirmation leaving a permanent mark on the soul:

1280 Baptism imprints on the soul AN INDELIBLE SPIRITUAL SIGN, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. BECAUSE OF THE CHARACTER BAPTISM CANNOT BE REPEATED (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).

1317 CONFIRMATION, LIKE BAPTISM, IMPRINTS A SPIRITUAL MARK OR INDELIBLE CHARACTER ON THE CHRISTIAN'S SOUL; FOR THIS REASON ONE CAN RECEIVE THIS SACRAMENT ONLY ONCE IN ONE'S LIFE.

[Now the Catechism states that the 3 sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation & Holy Orders are the ONLY Sacraments which have this kind of permanent effect on the recipient:]

698 The seal is a symbol close to that of anointing. "The Father has set his seal" on Christ and also seals us in him. Because THIS SEAL INDICATES THE INDELIBLE EFFECT OF THE ANOINTING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, AND HOLY ORDERS, the image of the seal (sphragis) has been used in some theological traditions to express THE INDELIBLE "CHARACTER" IMPRINTED BY THESE THREE UNREPEATABLE SACRAMENTS.

I shouldn't need to point out, Manuel, that Marriage differs totally in this respect with those other 3 Sacraments. For this reason, neither Baptism, nor Confirmation/Chrismation, nor Holy Orders may be repeated in the Eastern Rites of the Church any more than they can be in the Latin Rite.

And for this same reason - Marriage may be repeated when some is free to licitly marry again in either the Latin Rite or any of the other Catholic Rites.

As our Lord states clearly, Marriage ends with the Resurrection. THAT IS THE TEACHING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

No one should have any difficulty in understanding that difference between marriage and priesthood once they have seen all of this. I am well aware of the stubbornness of some in the Eastern Rites on this issue.

But they are at odds with the teaching tradition of the Catholic Church - as we've clearly demonstrated in the Catechism.

Manuel, we've completely demonstrated at several different levels that Church teaches differently than what you were told.

Now I need to make a point clearly. I trust that you were just trying to get information up till this point. But you questions have been more than clearly answered.

(end of responses)

Especially from Melkite and Eastern Catholics, how do Eastern Catholics understand this passage and this issue in light of the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church) and based on Tradition?

Kyrie eleison,

Manuel