Sometimes it happens that before the official registration of marriage and the church wedding ceremony, a woman is already in an interesting position. Therefore, questions arise about the church’s attitude towards the wedding of pregnant women. They are often addressed to priests. Let's try to figure out what Orthodoxy says about this.
Church about wedding
If the future husband and wife are Orthodox Christians, then their common desire, in addition to the traditional registration at the registry office, to also get married is quite understandable. After all, in this way the couple wants children born in marriage to have God's blessing. But what if a woman turns out to be pregnant before the wedding? Or, for example, did you find out about pregnancy a few days after the ceremony?
There are different opinions of people on this matter. One of them is based on the fact that sex before marriage is fornication, so a woman in an interesting position cannot get married. It is a sin. Others believe that the church blessing of marriage can be received at any stage of pregnancy and even before the birth itself. This opinion is based on the fact that a child must be born to married parents. But young people getting married should listen not to the advice of people, but to the opinion of church ministers.
Orthodox priests explain to their parishioners that the wedding ceremony is considered to be the teaching of the blessing of Christ to the wife and husband, the spiritual sanctification of their family life. The Church has every right to bless the legal marriage of two Christians according to their mutual desire.
Orthodox priests explain that weddings are a great sacrament of the church. Church laws say that the married life of young people must begin with a wedding ceremony in church. In this way, the couple is blessed by God to live together, to share sorrow and joy until the end of their days.
Is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married in the Orthodox Church?
Church ministers explain the meaning of the wedding ceremony. Its essence is to obtain blessings for future spouses from God. The family life of any couple should begin with this ritual. But first, a man and a woman must be sure of their desire to unite themselves in church marriage. The Orthodox Church has an extremely negative attitude towards divorce and does not encourage re-weddings. That is, a church marriage should be one for life.
In the Orthodox Church, spouses are married only by mutual consent. A child born into such a family is considered given with God's blessing. According to the old canons of Orthodoxy, intimate relations before a church wedding were considered prohibited. After all, it was this ritual that, until 1917, personified the official conclusion of marriage. Now these rules have changed. The Church recognizes as official a marriage concluded in the registry office. In this regard, modern clergy do not refuse to marry married couples even if the woman is pregnant.
Important
Pregnancy in itself is not considered sinful, according to the Orthodox Church. This is evidence of the great miracle of the birth of a new life.
Signs and beliefs
The early remnants of paganism still make themselves felt in a variety of superstitions.
If a ring falls or a church wedding candle goes out, this promises unhappiness in family life, divorce, and even the death of one of the spouses. There is also a belief that the head of the house will be the spouse who first steps foot on the wedding towel. Also, many couples believe that they should not get married in May - they say the couple will suffer all their lives. But all these are rather prejudices and superstitions, because a strong and friendly family, married in a church, observing all the foundations and canons of Orthodoxy, will never suffer from any prejudices.
Summing up and giving an answer to the question posed, is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married, the church gives an unequivocally positive answer, and even strongly recommends that parents get married before the birth of the baby.
Why you can't get married while pregnant
The wedding ceremony is not performed if one of the spouses does not want it. The Church does not approve of it being carried out under the coercion of parents, the other half, or because it is fashionable. A man and a woman must agree to the wedding by voluntary consent. To ensure free expression of will, the church minister conducts a conversation before the ceremony.
Weddings on any desired date are not permitted. There are days prohibited for this kind of rituals. These include:
- any posts;
- days preceding major holidays;
- Christmastide;
- Wednesday and Friday.
They also do not get married in the following situations:
- those who profess a different faith;
- people who have not registered their marriage in the registry office;
- atheists;
- relatives;
- people under the age of majority;
- people who are officially married to another person;
- unbaptized;
- people who marry more than three times;
- people with mental illnesses.
There are exceptions to these rules. Thus, the church allows the ceremony to be held without official registration if it is scheduled for the day after the wedding. It is also allowed to marry an Orthodox Christian with a representative of another faith, provided that children born in this future are baptized and raised according to the canons of Christianity.
What should a pregnant bride wear?
According to Orthodox church traditions, newlyweds must stand during the procession, which creates some difficulties due to pregnancy. Getting married can be difficult for a bride. After all, in church, as a rule, it is stuffy. At the same time, the dress may also bring some discomfort. Therefore, having found out whether it is possible to get married while pregnant, you should, first of all, provide comfortable clothes that will not squeeze or interfere, as well as shoes. According to tradition, you can choose a less festive outfit than a wedding dress, an outfit in light colors or completely white.
It is advisable to wear shoes with low soles or comfortable low heels. The priest who will perform the wedding ceremony must be notified that the bride is pregnant. If necessary, he or one of the relatives can move a bench during the procession so that the pregnant woman can sit down. You should also have ammonia and a damp handkerchief with you.
Is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married in church if she is already married?
The option of a church wedding immediately after the official registration of the marriage in the registry office is considered ideal. But in practice this does not always happen. Very often, officially registered spouses decide to conduct a church ceremony after several years of marriage. At the same time, it is quite likely that a woman’s pregnancy is pushing her to take such a step.
The clergy do not see any obstacles to publicizing such a union in the church. All rules of the ceremony were observed. Slight restrictions here are imposed by the woman’s physical condition. The wedding ceremony is preceded by a long three-hour Liturgy and Communion. These events are difficult for a pregnant woman. It can be difficult for an expectant mother to be in a cramped room filled with specific odors, with a large crowd of people.
Before the ceremony, the bride and groom confess. Three days before, the couple must fast for three days: limit themselves in physical and spiritual food, intimate life. Within 72 hours, special prayers recommended by the priest are prescribed.
Confession
Before Communion, the holy father talks with the spouses, talking about Orthodox laws and the institution of marriage. In confession you must be sincere. If the pregnancy is short and the belly is not visually noticeable, this fact should not be hidden from the clergyman.
Visiting a temple during pregnancy
Photo: Flickr.com
Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) says that there are no canonical restrictions for pregnant women. She can go to temple. Priests advise taking the Sacrament of Communion as often as possible, as this is necessary for the health of the body and soul of a woman and her unborn child.
An obstacle for an expectant mother to attend church may be:
- Odor intolerance due to toxicosis;
- Physical state;
- Medical restrictions.
What maternity dress to wear for a wedding
Preparing for a wedding ceremony requires responsibility. It is divided into internal and external. Future spouses need to agree on the time of the ceremony with the clergyman, choose clothes for the wedding and purchase all the necessary attributes:
- A couple of icons for a wedding. Usually they take the image of the Mother of God and the Savior.
- Wedding candles.
- Two white towels. One of them binds the hands of the bride and groom during the ceremony. The other is spread under the feet of the couple getting married.
- Wedding rings: according to church custom, gold rings are bought for the groom, silver is given to the bride. You can take the rings that the spouses put on each other at the registry office. But before the wedding, the priest blesses them. During the ceremony, the husband and wife will exchange them again.
- Be sure to wear crosses before the wedding.
It is much more important to prepare the soul before receiving the blessing of God. Confession and Communion are mandatory before the ceremony. A pregnant woman should also undergo them. Usually confession is made during the evening service.
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Traditions
According to good and old traditions, any girl who became a bride had to be married in a temple. Also, only pure girls, that is, virgins, could get married, who had to put on a veil and enter the temple in white clothes. Girls who had lost their innocence were not allowed to cross the threshold of the temple.
Today, the tradition of weddings has been preserved, although less stringent requirements are put forward for future spouses.
Wedding of a pregnant woman
A clear answer to the question of whether pregnant women are married has already been formulated above. Yes, this sacrament can also be performed with pregnant women. As a rule, the wedding of a pregnant woman does not differ from a simple sacrament.
Many girls keep silent about their situation because they are afraid that they will not be allowed to attend the wedding. But we cannot remain silent about such an important period of life. As a rule, before performing the wedding sacrament, the priest invites the young couple to an interview, during which the expectant mother must talk about her situation.
Before the sacrament, you need to take sedatives or drink herbal tea; when choosing a remedy, you need to consult your doctor.
Very often, during a wedding, a pregnant woman may feel unwell, nausea, dizziness and low blood pressure may occur. Her husband or other close person should be next to her.
According to the rules, you need to get married standing, but the priest, knowing your position, may allow you to sit down, since the process itself lasts at least an hour. Church rules do not determine when the wedding should take place; a couple can do this even one day before the birth.
It is better to get married in the early stages of pregnancy, when the woman is still feeling normally.
Preparation for the wedding
Before coming to the wedding sacrament, you must visit the temple for communion and confession. The priest will read a few prayers and then invite the young couple to cleanse their souls.
The procedure itself is very responsible, and not every person manages to go through it without anxiety. You will have to tell the sacred person all your sins committed recently. If you have never confessed, then you need to talk about your sins throughout your life. In order to talk about sins, you need to know the main commandments of God.
Before starting the wedding procedure, the newlyweds must do the following:
- Keep a three-day fast.
- Read prayers.
- Prepare icons, wedding rings, towels and candles. As a rule, such paraphernalia can be bought in the church.
Clothes and shoes for weddings
- Even if you arrived at the temple after the registry office, you need to take a responsible approach to choosing shoes. It should not be in high heels, as this will make your task easier and will fit more into the church framework.
- As for the dress, it should be long and loose. It is advisable to choose dresses made from natural fabrics: cotton or linen.
- A prerequisite is that a pregnant woman should not have exposed parts of her body, especially the shoulders and chest.
- An indispensable attribute during a wedding is a veil, which should cover the bride’s head.
Common sense
The Church does not prohibit a pregnant woman from getting married, but in the decision-making process one should rely on common sense and take into account some of the features of this sacrament.
- The sacrament takes about an hour, during which the expectant mother will have to stand on her feet. In these conditions, it is necessary to take into account the duration of pregnancy and the woman’s well-being.
- Before entering into a church marriage, spouses must confess and receive communion. The last sacrament is performed after a person’s presence at the evening service and Liturgy, at the end of which communion occurs. It may be difficult for a pregnant woman to attend a 2-3 hour service.
- Despite the fact that during the sacrament of wedding the spouses receive the blessing of the Lord, it is not a guarantee of harmonious relationships or the health of the unborn child. Therefore, spouses must be spiritually prepared for this step.
A wedding during pregnancy should be a common decision of spouses expecting a child. When making this decision, they should be guided by the recommendations of clergy and personal confessors, as well as the woman’s well-being.
Sources:
https://budumamoi.com/poleznoe/voprosy-very/mozhno-li-beremennoy-venchatsya.html https://ikona-i-molitva.info/mozhno-li-xodit-v-cerkov-beremennym/ https:/ /molitva-info.ru/duhovnaya-zhizn/mozhno-li-venchatsya-beremennoj.html
