Author Topic: Divorce and remarriage in the Orthodox Church (Read 3920 times)

Disputaciones · « **on:** May 23, 2016, 12:24:17 AM »

I have researched a little and I found out that they allow to divorce and remarry up to 3 times in the Orthodox Church in case of adultery. They also say that they do not even view the sacrament of marriage as an indissoluble vow, not at all they say. This is why they allow divorce and remarriage, because they do not think only death dissolves the tie.

What I don't know is when this started, if it was ever allowed before the schism. I would think not, since this idea would seem to invalidate marriage to begin with, but you never know. I wanted to know if this was a pure Orthodox invention or if there's actually something to it.

Would somebody happen to know more about this? I don't know what pre v2 sources are dedicated specifically to refuting all their errors. In Fortescue's book about them, he merely mentions that they allow 3 marriages and doesn't even say anything bad about it. He also does not list this point as one of the main ones that divide them from the Church. He basically says that the Pope and the Filioque questions are the only serious ones that divide, so I don't know if this is tacit approval of their teachings on marriage.

Cantarella · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2016, 02:06:41 AM »

This practice probably comes from before the schism, around the IX century, when the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI, the Wise, (866 - 912) got divorced three times because his wives could not have any children, and he wanted to have an heir to the throne. He intended to get married a fourth time, but then the story says that the bishops said to him: "This is impossible. Three times is all you can do, and that’s it. There is no fourth marriage". The Great Schism occurred in the year 1054.

Here is more to it:

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hopko/re_marriage_in_the_orthodox_church

Last Tradhican · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2016, 08:49:37 AM »

Quote from: Disputaciones

He basically says that the Pope and the Filioque questions are the only serious ones that divide, so I don't know if this is tacit approval of their teachings on marriage.

An entire book about schismatic heretics and the author just says it is about the pope and the Filioque? The author is not sending out a good signal there. This would be a great warning flag to me, to be leery of the author.

The maximum 3 marriage rule is a joke, it highlights the protestantism of the Eastern Orthodox, "give the people what they want".

Disputaciones · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2016, 09:02:53 AM »

Quote from: Cantarella

This practice probably comes from before the schism, around the IX century, when the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI, the Wise, (866 - 912) got divorced three times because his wives could not have any children, and he wanted to have an heir to the throne. He intended to get married a fourth time, but then the story says that the bishops said to him: "This is impossible. Three times is all you can do, and that’s it. There is no fourth marriage". The Great Schism occurred in the year 1054.

Here is more to it:

http://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hopko/re_marriage_in_the_orthodox_church

According to Wikipedia all 3 wives of Leo VI actually died before each marriage, so if that's true then there was no divorce at all. The Patriarch simply didn't like a fourth valid marriage, but the catholic encyclopedia says that Rome approved of it.

But the Orthodox allow actual divorce and remarriage in the case of adultery.

I had listened to that audio before and it doesn't say whether it had always been like that or when it started.

Disputaciones · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2016, 09:07:48 AM »

Quote from: Last Tradhican

Quote from: Disputaciones
He basically says that the Pope and the Filioque questions are the only serious ones that divide, so I don't know if this is tacit approval of their teachings on marriage.

An entire book about schismatic heretics and the author just says it is about the pope and the Filioque? The author is not sending out a good signal there. This would be a great warning flag to me, to be leery of the author.

The maximum 3 marriage rule is a joke, it highlights the protestantism of the Eastern Orthodox, "give the people what they want".

The author is Fr. Adrian Fortescue. He has an article about the Greek schism in the catholic encyclopedia and he also wrote a book about the Orthodox, but this book is not dedicated to refuting their errors. It is in the article that he says that the main errors can be boiled down to those two, not in the book, because they are the ones that touch on dogma, while the rest don't.