The birth of a new life is a blessed miracle. It is the Lord who permits the appearance of this fragile sprout. Very often a situation arises in which a young woman, having learned about pregnancy, wants her child to be born in a church marriage. The question of whether it is possible to marry a pregnant woman is asked on Orthodox websites, where priests dispel the doubts of parishioners. Any father will be only too glad for the desire of the couple to receive the blessing of God for the birth of children and the union approved by the church.
According to the Orthodox catechism, marriage is considered a sacrament in which the bride and groom make a free promise before the priest that they will be faithful to each other. The priest asks for grace for their union, blesses the spouses for a safe birth and Christian upbringing of children. The emphasis of the Orthodox rite is on procreation, on childbearing and mutual obligations to raise he althy children. The answer to the question aboutwhether it is possible to marry a pregnant woman is unambiguous. Yes, this is the right step also because the intercession of the Mother of God and Christ will help both the mother and her child.
Having dispelled doubts about whether it is possible to get married while pregnant, young people should understand that a wedding in a church has its own characteristics that you need to know. First, it turns out whether the future newlyweds are baptized according to the Orthodox tradition. During the ceremony, all the main participants in the sacrament must have pectoral crosses.
It is better to come to church in advance, when there are more than three weeks left before the wedding, in this order of actions you will be able to prepare and not forget important moments. You need to meet with the priest, who will conduct the ceremony. You need to talk to him frankly, kindly. All his recommendations must be respectfully listened to. Tell him about your situation, about when your child is due to be born. You need to do this because he will give you advice for the upcoming confession. It should be borne in mind that the sacrament of church marriage lasts about an hour, so it is better for the priest to know in advance that the bride may feel bad.
During the preliminary conversation, the priest must find out if there are any reasons why the Orthodox sacrament cannot be performed: blood relationship will become an unacceptable obstacle if one of the spouses is not baptized, there is an undissolved church marriage, as well as more than four civil unions, in which one of the newlyweds was.
We answered yes to the question ofis it possible to get married pregnant, but we emphasize the need to take this step very responsibly. Before the wedding, the newlyweds fast for 10 days, then they have to confess and take communion. For those who go to confession for the first time, we give this advice: try to open your heart to God. He will hear everything you say. Do not ask for forgiveness for invented sins, repent only of what burdens your soul. If a woman was in a legal civil marriage and pregnancy occurred after the wedding, this is not a sin. Remember that the purity of your thoughts is important to you, as you are interested in the safe birth of children and in God's help.
To prepare you for the ceremony, we will tell you about how the wedding goes. Prepare the icons of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God in advance, they are needed to bless the couple. Do not forget wedding rings, wedding candles and a towel, which will become a symbol of the purity of your thoughts, it is kept in the family all your life and passed down through the female line.
Before the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds must ask for blessings from their parents. If they cannot attend the ceremony, the planted parents are chosen. They must be family people, not necessarily married to each other.
The bride and groom stand at the altar of the church, the priest comes out to them through the royal doors. In the hands of the priest is the Gospel and the cross, with which he blesses the young three times and passes them the lit candles. The rings are placed on the throne in the altar. The clergyman reads prayers and puts on rings, then the newlyweds move to the center of the Temple. BeforeA towel is lying on the lectern, a husband and wife stand on it. On the lectern there should be a cross, the Gospel and crowns. The priest asks a question about the consent of the newlyweds to take a vow of fidelity before the church and the Lord. Witnesses raise crowns (crowns) over the heads of the young, then ritual bowls of wine are brought to them. They are applied to the bowls three times. At the end of the ceremony, the priest leads the young people by the hands around the lectern. You need to do three full circles. Then you should kiss the icons located on the royal gates. Only after that, a modest kiss of the spouses is allowed, which completes the wedding.
After the end of the sacrament, the newlyweds feel an amazing spiritual unity. Church marriage involves fidelity to each other throughout life, think seriously, prepare for this step, and do not take the wedding as a tribute to tradition or a fashion trend.
