Two conflicting trends have now clashed: the popularization of the ancient wedding ceremony and
sad statistics of divorces. The Russian Orthodox Church is extremely disapproving of divorce, but also does not prohibit married couples from parting. So for the official dissolution of church marriage, you have to spend a lot of time and mental energy.
Instruction manual
1
Write the petition addressed to the bishop of your diocese. The Orthodox Church interprets divorce as a sin, so you will be asked to state in detail the reasons that push you to such a serious act. Priests go to a meeting in those cases where there has been adultery (treason) of one of the spouses.
2
Give objective reasons for ending the marriage, if any. Situations when the church approves the divorce are: mental illness of one of the spouses, an unknown absence of the second half for a long time or maliciously leaving his family, one of the spouses to adopt a different faith. Orthodoxy also understands the desire to terminate the marriage of a person whose spouse ends up in prison due to crimes committed.
3
Wait for the circumstances that prevent the church to terminate your marriage to disappear. Such is the experience of married life less than one year and the presence of children under three years of age. But the absence of a husband or wife’s physical ability to have children can be considered as a good reason for divorce, but only after five years of marriage.
4
Ask for the blessings of a new marriage. According to church tradition, the right to remarry has a party who is not guilty of a divorce. The same spouse, because of treason or other misconduct whose family broke up, will be able to find his happiness again only after he fulfills the conditions imposed on him by penance (that is, a certain punishment imposed by the clergyman - in the form of fasting, pilgrimage or other penitential actions)
Useful advice
In the Orthodox tradition, a married marriage is sacred, the confessors will do their best to save your family. Try to listen to their arguments. It is not without reason that they say that truly Orthodox people do not seek the approval of a spiritual father for divorce, but strive to maintain relations at all costs.
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