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The Bright Feast of the Theophany and Baptism of our Lord in the river Jordan was, quite appropriately, designated by the Church as an opportune time for the baptism of new Christians or catechumens who completed their preparation for enlightenment. Today, however, a baptism usually involves an infant rather than an adult who cannot possibly "prepare" for the Mystery. How did this eventual shift in the age of the baptismal candidates affect the level of commitment to Christian living in the Church? How does it still? more |
Churching of New Mothers I have a question regarding newborn children attending divine liturgy. I heard it is customary for the child to be baptized around 40 days after birth. I also heard that there is a custom that the newborn and the mother should not go to church (or even leave home, except for doctor visits) until the baby is baptized and the mother is churched. Do you know where this custom came from, and if it is common in Orthodox churches? see answer | ||||
| Non-Orthodox as God Parents I have a brother and sister-in law baptising their child and they would like me to be the Godmother. I am not a baptised member of the Ukrainian Orthodox church. I am however, a baptised and professing member of the Christian Reformed Church where I attend regularly. It has been said at this point that they can not use me as a Godparent. In your answer I read on the website you state "After all it is essentially not for social reasons that we take Godparents or baptize, but in order to bring someone into God's family". I in no way question whether or not I am a member of God's family. I may not be Ukrainian Orthodox but our doctrines are similar and gives us a protestant designation in common. If indeed the importance of baptism is to bring someone into God's family would I not be a viable exception to the rule? See answer |
Two questions 1) Regarding
baptisms in the Orthodox Church I find the following comment
made to a question regarding sponsors: No relations, e.g. brother and sister, husband and wife, may be Godparents to a child. Two different, unrelated persons only may. My question to the above response is WHY? 2) I am a ukrainian orthodox woman married to a non-orthodox man. We have two daughters that were not baptised at birth but now I regret that decision and was wondering if a 7 year old girl and a 3 year old girl could still be baptised the way an infant would be? Also, the question of god-parents - all of our close friends and other family members are non-orthodox. What should we do in this situation? see answers |
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| Adult Baptism My husband of 29 years has always come to my Church-Ukrainian Greek Orthodox from the very beginning of our marriage...his mother was Roman Catholic, his father a Protestant...Having been between 'both' sides he never got baptized in any Church. He is 49 years old. How do you go about baptizing a person of his age? (All my children were baptized according to the Church when they were born...but now my focus of attention is what do I do with my husband? ) see answer | Can you please tell me what the Orthodox official view on Infant Baptism is. What are their beliefs about Infant Baptism. Do they believe in it? Do they baptise infants? see answer | ||||
| My husband and I are expecting our first child very soon. My husband was raised Ukrainian Orthodox; I was raised Ukrainian Catholic. We have decided to baptize and raise our child in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. What are the traditions of a Ukrainian Orthodox Baptism? What can we expect in the ceremony itself? What are the "rules" on when the baptism should be performed, who should be selected as Godparents, etc? I am starting from scratch here so any help/advise you can provide me on how to prepare for this big event would be greatly appreciated. see answer | My cousin just converted to Orthodoxy. She was raised Roman Catholic. She was confirmed as a child, but was "re-confirmed", or chrismated again as an Orthodox Christian. I thought a person was not allowed to receive certain sacraments more than once. Could you kindly explain why this is done? answer | ||||
We are both Orthodox.
My husband has been asked
to be a God Father to a Catholic baby and we would like to
know if this is allowed by the
Orthodox Church.
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An answer to a question from Catholics who have been asked to be the Godparents of an Orthodox child. | ||||
| Weddings | |||||
| My fiancé is Ukrainian Orthodox and I am Protestant. We would like to have a marriage ceremony that involves both faiths. We have a minister and a priest who are willing to do this but we're not sure how to best combine the traditions of the two ceremonies. Any suggestions? see answer |
I recently requested info on
Ukrainian Orthodox weddings, and I must say, your site was most helpful.
However, I do have a Maid of Honor, and I didn't see what role she
plays. I can assume it's the same as the traditional american role,
but I read that the Best Man has quite a few responsibilities. Can you
suggest another site listing the roles of the Maid of Honor? We will
have no others in the "Wedding Party" other than the Maid of Honor and the
Best Man because from what I've been reading, Ukrainian Weddings don't
have many wedding attendants. Can you advise a little more? see answer |
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| I am Ukranian orthodox but I do not know much about the wedding ceremony. Can you please send me all steps and its significance? see answer |
Marriage Vows Where exactly did the marriage vows come from? I have read the Bible and even though it refers to marriage and love the vows that we say in a marriage is not written down. Please give me more information regarding "marriage vows". see answer |
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| What is the chuch's stand on divorce? Can divorced people re-marry? see answer | I read about what takes place in an orthodox wedding ceremony, my question to you is, can a father walk a daughter down the aisle or is that allowed? see answer | ||||
| Reading through "Preserve them O' Lord" by Fr. John Mack, I noticed he spoke about marriage being eternal, with the spiritual bonds reaching into the afterlife. I take great consolation in that. My question is, will my children continue to have a spiritual bond to my wife and I in heaven? I really couldn't imagine heaven with my wife united to me yet my children to not be. see answer | A visitor's question on Marriage and Sex in the Early Church See answer | ||||
| La Cérémonie de Mariage |
A visitor's question and comments regarding
Trans-denominational Marriages with our reply
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| I am Ukrainian Orthodox, and have recently become engaged. I will be getting married in two years, mostly not to have to rush planning. I was discussing my plans with my mother, when she told me that all Ukrainian Orthodox weddings are on Sundays. Is this true? I have never come across this rule. answer | I'm interested in the history of the korovaj in the wedding rituals. How far back does the korovaj date? I've heard that it dates back 5,000 years. answer | ||||
| My grandparents were married in Alberta Canada (1928) in the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox church. I have a picture of them and my questions to you are: what types of flowers are the bride and groom wearing? What significance do the ribbons have? And I notice that the groom has his wedding band on his RIGHT hand ring finger, was that a mistake or is it something to do with tradition? see answer | How does the Orthodox Church view civil marriage of an Orthodox man and women? While they are not considered married within the Church, do the individuals remain in good standing? see answer | ||||
| I'm Ukrainian Catholic and my fiance is Greek Orthodox. I understand that now if we were to get married in a Greek Orthodox church by the church's priest then I still could stay Catholic. My question is, if we decided to get married in this manner could I practice and recieve communion at a Greek Orthodox church even if I'm Catholic. answer | I am Russian Orthodox and attended Greek Orthodox Churches since my earliest years. When I went to a priest who did not know me very well, I told him my desire to marry a non-Christian man. He asked me not to make plans until he was able to speak to my fiance. We went to him and it was clear to him my fiance was unfamiliar with Orthodoxy. They spoke to each other privately, while I waited outside. The priest then informed me that it was my choice to marry him even if it wasn't in the Church. However, if I did, I would be viewed as being ex-communicated. This hurt deeply. I happen to love the Lord more than I can describe, He is my life. Was the priest right to say I am no longer part of the Church because I chose to marry? Is it not true that they cannot forbid marriage? I understand the strain of marrying a non-Christian, but believe that by my actions and life, I may have an opportunity through Christ to win him over by the grace of God. Can a priest pass judgement on my heart? Does he do this to his own possible detriment? answer | ||||
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(1) To get married in the Orthodox Church, do
both parties have to be baptized in the Orthodox Church? (5) Can we get married on a Friday or Saturday? |
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| Funerals | |||||
| I am to attend a Parastas service and then a Panachida service for a friend of mine. Help! what does this all mean? see answer |
Prayers for Departed Homosexuals This is a question about Orthodoxy in general concerning the following: I have a brother in law who recently passed away, who was Catholic and a homosexual. Is it acceptable to ask for a panachida for him in our Orthodox church? Also, is it acceptable to request his remembrance during the prayers for the departed?? I know that homosexuality is not accepted, but I would like to be able to have prayers for him as I believe he needs them. see answer |
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1. Due to the limited facilities in our UOC it is not possible to hold a funeral, esp. in the winter, where a possible two or three hundred people would attend. Could our priest not be permitted to hold the funeral service and prayers in a church of another mainline denomination i.e. Roman Catholic, Lutheran, United etc.? 2. During the interment of an UOC parishioner, following the graveside service,could it be permissible"seal the grave" with casket at the ground level, rather than completely lowering it in the grave; this would allow a few minutes for the family to be alone with their loved one when many of the other mourners would be gone ? |
Culture is so pervasive in our lives that it impacts literally every aspect of our existence. And at no time is this more deeply felt than when we experience the pain of the death of a loved one or loved ones. The shock of the tragic events of September 11 and now of the most recent devastation of the plane crash in a Queen's neighbourhood where over 260 people were killed reflects the way in which we view death in our own Western culture. But how does it exactly? And how can the Church help here? more |
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| We are shocked and hurt when someone commits suicide. This is so when it was someone we admired. It is especially so when it is someone near to us, perhaps a member of the family. Usually suicides leave notes. They will often try to console the survivors. They say: "Don’t blame yourself for this", and say that they simply could not cope with life the way it was for them. more | What are the procedural rubrics in Orthodox funerals regarding the graveside service just prior to interment?In particular, is their a set of guidelines for each of the clergy and for the funeral directors concerning the lowering of the casket into the grave; specifically, should the casket be lowered to the bottom of the grave before the graveside service is completed? see answer | ||||
| I wanted to know what the apple, orange, bread and candle represent at the funeral. Also why do we celebrate on the 40 day after the death of a person? see answer |
It has often been said that funerals are for the living, not the dead. They are formalized rites in which the human experiences of grief and mourning are felt and played out. more |
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My Grandmother, a Russian Orthodox,
has passed away.
Her services are to be held
shortly. Her original request was to
be laid in the church for 2 days and
then have services and burial. My mother has decided, due to
emotional difficulty in handling the death to have the
services at the funeral home which the
priest is going to attend. I am curious about the casket being open during the service? The majority of the family members, who are not Russian Orthodox, do not wish for it to be open. Is it mandatory? The funeral director mentioned that the Father will want to put prayers on her head and in her hand. Can you tell me what the prayers are? see answer |
Could you give me the accepted reason why our churches face the East. In addition, in a lot of our Ukrainian Orthodox cemeteries, the buried are facing the east as well. see answer | ||||
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My dear friend, who is Russian Orthodox, recently lost her Mother. I know there are certain traditions she is following, and she mentioned something about marking the death of her Mother at 30 days, 90 days and one year. Can you please provide me with any information relative to the traditional Russian Orthodox mourning period? My friend, as well as her mother, were from the former Soviet state of Georgia. see reply |
Please advise if it is a traditional in the Orthodox Church to wait one year after the death of a closed loved one, such as your grandmother before you will get married or have a party reception. see answer | ||||
| Recently my daughter's husband lost his Mother unexpectedly. She lived in Moscow and he was unable to be there for her funeral. We are having a 40 day Panachida service for her and would like to know the traditional meaning of the service. Since we are not Russian Orthodox, we do not know what is appropriate for the service. The priest said a picture of the deceased would not be appropriate since this is a celebration of the soul, but flowers would be. Also, he referred to a ceremonial dish called "Kutya". Will you please explain? see reply | Death and dying: Some loose Ends . . .This article is in response to a series of questions by a visitor concerning how Orthodoxy understands the experience of death within a more clinical context. This is a very topical theme, especially since prayer for our reposed loved ones at cemeteries is part of the traditions of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is the "Giver of Life" and it is by His Breath that we live now and in the next life . . .more | ||||
| How does the Orthodox Church treat experiences that people have with their unborn children? I know that Orthodoxy don't believe in the pre-existence of souls, but how about the pre-existence of spirits? see answer | I would like to ask you if there is a particular way to bury the Orthodox priests ? For example, in Greece we say that the priest is always buried “seated” and not lying down ; also we say that he is never exhumed. If there are some specificities, could you give me also the dogmatic explanation ? answer | ||||
| I am Wiccan, and was married before even though not in the eyes of the Lord. I am engaged to a man who is orthodox and I am a bit confused on the remarrying issue? What kind of permission do I have to get? And from who? His religion and faith is very important to him and I want to make I can do everything I can to make him happy. Even if I have to convert. Do I? And if so how do I go about doing that? answer | Recently my sisters mother-in-law passed away and there was a funeral for her. Just today though I found out that in two weeks there will be another ceremony for her ascension into heaven. Can you please explain this. I don't understand why this takes two weeks after the funeral instead of the same day as the funeral. answer | ||||
| Why throw a handful of dirt on the coffin ? | Most Archpastors and Pastors in the Orthodox Church view cremation as an unacceptable way of dealing with the mortal remains of a person who has reposed (the prefered term for the state of the departure of the soul from the body of a human being). This is because it seems to detract from the conviction - based upon Divine Revelation - that the human body is just as important as the soul. more | ||||
| What is a parastas service? My grandfather is having one at his wake tonight. see answer |
An answer
to a question from a visitor concerning the taking of
photographs of the deceased during a funeral.
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Recently a friend, who is married
to a Russian woman, lost his daughter to cancer. Forty days
after her death, he and his mother-in-law were planning a
celebratory dinner that he said is a Russian custom to send her
on to the next world. He said that when his mother died, he and
his wife had a picnic at the cemetary and shared a bottle of
wine with his mother (pouring some onto her grave site). My questions... What is the basis of this custom? Is it truly traditional to have this sort of dinner? What is the most common way to celebrate the 40th day? Is this a way for mourners to achieve closure and say a final good bye? The material I have read on the subject suggests that this is the time to pray for the person's soul since it is their day of final judgement. Some material said that to pour a drink onto the gravesite is disrespectful. What is the truth? answer |
Cremation
Can you please tell me
if people in Ukraine ever get creamated like they do in England.
Also, what are your views on this?
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| Baptism | Weddings | Funerals | |||||
