Civil Annulment's Effect on Church Marriage?

Q. This concerns a U.S. marriage. If the marriage is civilly annulled, what is the effect upon the Church marriage? Is it also annulled?


-P.

A. Civil procedures have no bearing on the Church. If the state annuls a marriage, that does not have any bearing on the Church marriage. A separate ecclesiastical divorce has to be obtained in order to marry again. There is no concept of an annulment in the Orthodox view.

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Orthodox Awareness

Ecumenical Dialogues Intensified

At the beginning of September (n.s.) Bartholomew called together a “Synaxis of the Patriarchates and the Autocephalous Church of Cyprus" at the Phanar in order to coordinate their efforts for the First Ecumenistic Council which they plan to convene shortly. At it, they will most certainly have to deal with a conflict with the Patriarchate of Moscow concerning primacy, but also they will proclaim the heresy of Ecumenism with an alleged synodal decision of Ecumenical (or rather Ecumenistic) force. Read more...

Missions

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Youth

2021 St. Xenia Camp

Greetings St. Xenia Camp family,

As previously announced, through the intercessions of St. Xenia, the prayers of so many of you, and with the blessing of Metropolitan Demetrius, St. Xenia Camp 2021 will return to Forest Acres in Fryeburg, Maine August 15-21! Given the continued impact of COVID-19, camp this year may yet be somewhat different from the past Forest Acres experiences. We are sharing this information ahead of registration so that all families can make an informed decision on whether they feel comfortable sending their camper(s) this year. [Read more...]

 

Ask A Priest

Morning and Evening Prayers

Q. Are the prayers in the blue prayer book [A Prayerbook for Orthodox Christians by the Holy Transfiguration Monastery —ed.] compulsory for everyone? I mean their morning prayers and the service of Small Compline. My confessor gave me a special rule but wasn’t clear about whether this replaced the book prayers or was in addition to them. Read more...