www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship The Other Sacramental Mysteries Marriage Question

I apologize in advance if this question has been discussed before. To my knowledge, in the Orthodox Church marriage between an Orthodox Christian and a non-Christian is forbidden, and will result in the Orthodox party being excommunicated.

On the other hand, my understanding is that in the Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite) a Catholic Christian may marry a non-Christian with the permission of the bishop. What is the situation in the Eastern Catholic Churches since they are part of the Catholic Church?

Peteprint:

Welcome to the forum.

Some of our Orthodox members, including our esteemed clergy members, could give you a link to the normal rules surrounding marriage in their Churches. I sent you a pm with a copy of the guidelines from a diocese in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch. I don't believe there is an automatic excommunication for marrying someone who is not Orthodox, but there are certain restrictions that these members can explain more fully.

We also have many Eastern Catholic members, including esteemed clergy, who can sketch out the rules for marriage by their members

Bob
Moderator

Thank you Bob.

Peter

Would it be possible to PM with these guidelines?

Would you be able to PM with these guidelines? Thanks in advance.

Christ is in our midst!!

Let me see if I can find them.

It's too long. I sent you a pm.

Bob

Received it. Thanks a lot.

It looks to be the same as the Roman Catholic position on marriage between baptized and unbaptized persons. You can marry an unbaptized person as long as a bishop gives a dispensation. Children must be raised Catholic, dangers removed etc. Here are the Eastern Canons . . .


Canon 803 - §1. Marriage with a non-baptized person cannot validly be celebrated.
§2. If at the time of the celebration of the marriage the party was commonly held to be baptized or his or her baptism was doubtful, the validity of the marriage is to be presumed, according to the norm of can. 779, until it is proven with certainty that one party was baptized and the other was not.
§3. Concerning the conditions for dispensing, can. 814 is to be applied.


Canon 814 - For a just reason the local hierarch can grant permission; however he is not to grant it unless the following conditions are fulfilled:
1° the Catholic party declares that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of falling away from the faith and makes a sincere promise to do all in his or her power to have all the offspring baptized and educated in the Catholic Church;
2° the other party is to be informed at an appropriate time of these promises which the Catholic party has to make, so that it is clear that the other party is truly aware of the promise and obligation of the Catholic party;
3° both parties are to be instructed on the essential ends and properties of marriage, which are not to be excluded by either spouse.

Christ is in our midst!!

ClearwaterByz:

Welcome to the forum. We hope you time with us is beneficial.

Are you citing Easter Catholic canons?

Bob
Moderator

My Melkite priest was an Antiochian Orthodox priest for like 15 years before coming over and his wife has always been Melkite. We have agreements with the Orthodox (this is possibly particular to the Melkites/Antiochians or it's CCEO, can't remember) that dictate the father's church is where the children end up being ascribed.

I don't think there's a problem here _in principle_ but you will definitely want to talk to priests on both sides and IIRC it's common to get a dispensation from the Catholic side to be married in an Orthodox Church. But talk to the priests and see what they and the eparchy say.

I don't think you're obliged to vow to raise the children Catholic in light of the agreement we have with them if you're not ascribed to the Latin Church, but your church's particular law may be the deciding factor here.

Christ is in our midst!!

kynokefalos,,

Welcome to the forum.

Bob
Moderator

Thank you! This website claims to be Eastern Catholic canons. https://www.jgray.org/codes/cceo90eng.html I was curious as to what the answer was so I just did a google search for Eastern Catholic Canons, but I am not not an expert of any kind.

This is the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1990.

I usually use https://canonlaw.ninja/ as it has the canons indexed and easily searchable. Has USCCB norms, English/Latin side-by-side, and some other niceties too.