www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Can an Eastern Catholic marry a divorcee or single mother?

I have a question: Can an Eastern Catholic or Orthodox marry a divorcee or a single mother? This is just a question.

divorcee: yes with an annulment....single mother, yes, if no previous marriage

my response was meant for the Catholic...I have no clue about the Orthodox

If the single mother is, indeed, single, there is no prohibition to forbid the marriage (assuming that the other conditions are fulfilled).

The divorcee would depend upon what, if anything, has been done about the ecclesiastical status of the previous or putative marriage.

Fr. Serge

Father bless!

Does this take into account that she may consider converting to Catholicism or Orthodoxy?

From an Orthodox perspective, yes, provided that one is not a candidate for Holy Orders.

Alexandr

Slight correction: the candidate for Holy Orders can marry the woman, but as a result he will no longer be a candidate for Holy Orders.

What if I'm only considering Holy Orders much later? What if I'm only a potential candidate or not even considered a candidate just yet?

Wait, are we even talking about divorcees, single mothers, or convert ladies?

I don't know what the rule is in the eastern Catholic Churches, but in the Orthodox Church, clergy must be married only once (or not married at all) and must be married to a spouse that has not been previously married.

Joe

The point is that if a man who is a candidate for Holy Orders wishes to marry (before diaconate or even subdiaconate, depending on the Local Church involved), it must be his own first marriage and his bride must be an "Orthodox virgin" - at one time, even if the prospective bride had been involved with certain occupations, not in themselves improper, but thought to be associated with loose morals, the candidate might not marry here unless he was prepared to withdraw his candidacy from Holy Orders.

Part of the reasoning behind this is that Eastern Orthodoxy regards a second marriage as a concession to human weakness - "it is better to marry than to burn" - and the service for a second marriage is clearly penitential. A deacon or priest, however, is expected to be exemplary of the higher ideal.

Another part of the reasoning - and this involves former illicit relationships, even fleeting ones - is that they affect the formation of one's character. The Church prefers to minimize what is already a serious risk, not to make the risk even greater.

Fr. Serge

Does this rule apply to non-Orthodox women, or even non-Catholic women (who wish to convert in the future)? Sorry if i repeat my questions.

It is not a question of penalizing the woman; it is a question of who may be a candidate for Holy Orders. Since the Church does not ordain women, this can only be of direct concern to male candidates for eventual ordination.

Whether some hierarch or synod might decide to exercise an economia is another matter - but be cautious about attempts to argue that because such an economia was tolerated in one case, it must therefore be tolerated in another case.

Fr. Serge

Well, i think i may have my questions answered then. Thanks.

My Joys, My Treasures,

One important part is also that once a person has been baptized ALL of his previous sins are wiped clean and forgiven. How can someone obey God when they don't have the grace of baptizm?

So, if a person has been divorced, got baptized, can't they still receive holy orders? That is my question. Please teach me if I am wrong in this.

poor seraphim

Well, here's the deal for asking: I am interested in a girl my age (22) who has a child (I'm definitely not the father). She was never married but has nonetheless raised the child. If I were to marry her, can I still consider Holy Orders?