www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Orthodox Marriage Insoluble?

I have a friend who says that the Orthodox do not know of insoluble marriage. He believes that the Orthodox Church teaches that marriage can be dissolved.

He also says that "Christian marriage" can be received by a baptized Christian and an non-baptized Christian. What is the Orthodox response to this?

I need sources to justify any answers. Catechisms, canons, councils, etc. would be very helpful. Thank you.

My impression was that the Orthodox believed in "eternal marriage" and that marriages contracted on earth endured into the eschaton. This sounds like insoluble marriage to me, but it doesn't explain how Orthodox can allow divorce and remarriage. I think this is what is causing the confusion.

Try -

http://www.geocities.com/trvalentine/orthodox/divorce.html

OrthoMan

Wow. Very enlightening link.

The easy annulments of the American Catholic Church is an absolute scandal. Pretending marriages of decades with children never really happened is cruel.
I like the Orthodox conception of "canon" as espoused by the link.
Being a bishop is an awesome responsibility.
I am reminded of the saying of St. John Chysostom; "The road to Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." Bishops who support giving Christ's Body and Blood being given to abortion advocates should be chided to meditate on those words.
I will defend the Latin Church on one account. There is no way one could look at the words of the Savior in Matthew as a support of "marriage for time and eternity." "Till death do us part" in the Latin Rite has a much clearer foundation in scripture. Constantinople should not be in the same company as Salt Lake City.

Lest we slide the slope further, I just would like to add that the proper term, as far as the Catholic canons are concerned, is "indissoluble marriage" or "indissolubility of marriage'" and not "insoluble marriage" or "insolubility of marriage."

To the canonists the first term belongs, but let the alchemists practice their craft on the second! :p

Amado

Very true Amado - I have been having a quiet snigger at the thought of some married of couples I know bieng dissolved