Most couples in Russia get married paying tribute to fashion. Young people do not think about the meaning of the Sacrament and the irreversible consequences if it is annulled. The end of a secular divorce proceeding is not considered a valid reason for removing the crown from a couple. The Russian Orthodox Church has adopted a closed list of significant reasons for dissolving marriage bonds. Among them: betrayal, unknown absence, unnatural vices, death and a number of other factors. Debunking a church marriage is not approved by Christians. But in exceptional cases, marriage is allowed three times.
When is it necessary to debunk a church union?
On the wedding day, the couple are happy and do not allow the thought that after some time they may stop loving each other.
Current laws in the field of family relations allow spouses to divorce. The maximum period for divorce, taking into account the period for reconciliation, cannot exceed three months. If the marriage was registered only in the registry office, then issues with remarriage will not arise. It is more difficult for spouses who have received a church blessing. The question arises whether it is possible to get married in church after a secular divorce.
Orthodox Christians do not have a ritual of debunking. Not all couples succeed in getting divorced after a divorce, because marriage is considered “made in Heaven.” When separation is due to the desire of one of the partners to remarry, a petition is submitted to the Diocese to remove the blessing.
Other compelling reasons may also serve as a reason for annulment of a wedding. The petition for debunking will definitely be granted if the ex-spouse has died.
Divorce in other religions
All world religions agree that divorce is sinful, but due to the weakness of human nature, it is pointless to put an absolute ban on divorce. If attempts to reconcile the spouses and return them to the family are unsuccessful, and an exceptional situation has developed in the family, the clergy will allow you to renounce these vows.
Important! The procedure will be preceded by a conversation with the confessor, and in the case of the Catholic Church, an entire church court, but ultimately the divorcees will still be met halfway.
Do Catholics have debunking in the church?
The Catholic Church treats divorces, on the one hand, much more uncompromisingly, and on the other hand, softer than the Orthodox Church. For Catholics, civil divorce and separation is considered normal. In some cases it will not even be a sin. But debunking, taking away one’s vows before God, is completely unacceptable.
After a Catholic wedding, the only possibility is to have the marriage declared invalid, annulled, and such a verdict will be made not by one clergyman, but by an entire tribunal.
Proceedings to annul a Catholic marriage often drag on for years.
Even if the guilt of one of the parties is objectively proven, no one guarantees a divorce. The reason for the breakup is most often betrayal, but other reasons are also possible - impotence, violation of obligations. In cases of domestic violence, mental illness, alcoholism or drug addiction, the Catholic Church may suggest that the sick spouse undergo treatment and the other one wait.
In more complex, non-standard situations - resign yourself, endure and learn the lesson that life is trying to teach with this or that problem.
Is it possible for Muslims to get divorced?
Despite the popular belief that Islam does not allow any divorce after nikah, especially those initiated by a woman, this is not entirely true.
Allah has a negative attitude towards the collapse of a family, but getting a divorce if necessary is quite possible. It is enough for a man to say “you are divorced” or “you are single” for a “buffer period” to begin, during which the couple can change their minds and repair the broken love boat. At the same time, the husband is not at all obliged to explain his decision, although such behavior is extremely unwelcome and can lead to certain social problems and consequences.
A woman, if she wants to get a divorce, should seek help from an imam. He takes responsibility for protecting her interests in the divorce proceedings. The reason for separation may be the husband’s insufficient financial security or any other incompatibility.
Important! The family in Islam is sacred, marriage means the union of two families, and therefore divorces are so rare and they are used only as a last resort.
Does the church annul a marriage after a divorce in the registry office?
When a family breaks up, the fact of divorce in the registry office does not serve as an absolute reason for debunking.
You need a good reason. It is impossible to get divorced after a divorce from your wife or husband due to “dissimilarity of characters.”
Essential reasons
In 1918, the Russian Orthodox Church approved a closed list of reasons for the dissolution of a church marriage. In 2000, the list was supplemented.
Essential grounds for removing a blessing:
- treason, adultery;
- remarriage;
- adoption of a different faith by one of the marriage partners;
- unknown absence of husband or wife for 5 years;
- encroachment on the life and health of family members;
- consanguineous marriage due to ignorance;
- unnatural vices;
- diagnosis of leprosy, AIDS, syphilis in a husband or wife;
- the presence of an incurable mental illness;
- inability to cohabitate in marriage;
- serving a sentence in prison;
- artificial termination of pregnancy without the consent of the spouse in the absence of medical indications;
- chronic alcoholism, drug addiction.
All of the above facts must be documented.
When can a priest refuse?
The Church will not grant a request for divorce without a valid reason or failure to provide the necessary documents.
If the spouse began to drink, but did not go to a medical institution (that is, alcoholism is not confirmed), the marriage will not be allowed to be dissolved.
If the AIDS test is taken anonymously and the certificate does not contain the patient’s first and last name, debunking will be refused.
If one of the spouses is suspicious or suspicious of adultery, without confirmation of the fact of adultery, the priest will not take into account the arguments of the applicant.
The main condition when filing an application for annulment of a church marriage is the presence of a substantial, documented basis.
Is the consent of the ex-spouse required to dissolve a church marriage?
Former spouses after a divorce, as a rule, do not maintain friendly relations. Many simply stop communicating, change their place of residence, and do not make contact. An offended wife cannot forgive a cheater, a deceived husband does not want to see her after his wife’s abortion: such situations occur often.
It is possible to unilaterally get debunked in church after a divorce. After all, there is no procedure as such. The essence of divorce in the church is to receive a blessing for a second wedding. The presence of the former partner is not required.
Reasons for debunking
Remarriage within the walls of a church is permitted only after the diocesan bishop gives his blessing for the dissolution and new marriage. What do you need for this? A decision will be made based on the results of consideration of the submitted petition. A church marriage will be debunked if the head of the local church considers the reasons specified in the document to be significant. Each case is considered individually. If the reason is compelling, the marriage will be debunked even without the consent of the husband (wife). A list of fairly weighty justifications is given in the official document “Fundamentals of the Social Concept,” which is mandatory for all members of the Church.
This list includes:
- adultery;
- malicious abandonment of a spouse from the family;
- abortion performed against consent;
- mental disorder, sexually transmitted disease, chronic infection, HIV, AIDS;
- committing a serious crime and being sentenced to imprisonment;
- pathological addiction to alcohol, drugs, and other unnatural vices;
- concealing from the future spouse the fact of having a problem or deliberately causing harm to one’s sexual reproductive health;
- actual harm to the health of family members or threats;
- renunciation of faith, transition to another denomination;
- unknown disappearance for a long period.
How to get debunked in church
The debunking of a church marriage for a Christian family is a tragedy; the procedure is not provided for by the Church. But after an official divorce through the court or in the registry office (if the couple does not have a child), the former spouses have the question of how to get married in church.
You should not look for an answer on thematic forums or on social networks: it is better to talk about this with your confessor or another clergyman.
What documents are needed
A person who wishes to remarry sends a letter to the Diocese. The petition is submitted to the ruling bishop. To correctly draw up an application, you can ask the parish for a sample.
List of documents attached to the application:
- passports of both spouses;
- a document certifying the fact of dissolution of a secular marriage;
- certificate of new marriage (if available);
- document confirming the wedding;
- certificates, court decisions, extracts and other documents confirming the need to annul the church union.
Documents are attached in the form of photocopies. The originals remain with the sender.
How to write a petition
In a written application for debunking, a person asks for permission to hold a second wedding.
Information contained in the request:
- last names, first names, patronymics of former spouses;
- date and place where the first sacrament of wedding was performed;
- a description of the reasons that led to the divorce;
- list of attached documents.
The person submitting the petition must confess his sins, after which the priest who accepted the confession issues a visa to the petition.
Where to go, how much to pay
With a request to dissolve a church marriage, it is better to come to the priest who married the man and woman. If this is not possible, you must petition the nearest temple. The clergyman will conduct a conversation to find out the reason that prompted the person to divorce and explain the process of considering the petition.
There is no fee for weddings, baptisms, or divorces. The church does not have a price list with the cost of services. Each parishioner determines the price himself and makes donations for the needs of the temple. But sometimes the cost is announced by church officials.
How long to wait for a decision
The time to consider an application to remove a blessing is 2-3 weeks. The response is sent in writing. If the decision is positive, a date for the re-wedding is set, and the previous church union is automatically annulled.
Is a debunking ceremony carried out, especially in the Orthodox and Catholic churches
In the Orthodox and Catholic churches there is no ritual of unblessing or de-blessing. It is more difficult for Catholics to annul a church union. Consideration of the application may take several years. The decision is made collectively.
Even if the guilt of one of the spouses is proven, dissolution of the marriage bond is not guaranteed. For alcoholism, drug addiction, and various diseases, clergy can advise you to undergo the necessary course of treatment. In more difficult life situations - reconcile and endure the hardships that befall the husband or wife.
Is termination possible?
In general, in the Orthodox Church there is no such thing as “debunking.” That is, it is assumed that a church marriage takes place in heaven according to the will of God and therefore must be eternal. But, unfortunately, almost anything can happen in life. And sometimes keeping a family just because of faith is pointless and wrong, so it is still possible to dissolve the union, and this will mean that the church gives the former spouses a blessing for another relationship.
How many weddings are allowed?
Explanations on this issue were given at the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the patriarchate, in December 2021 in Moscow.
The Church “does not encourage second marriage.” The maximum number of weddings for an Orthodox Christian is three. After the first divorce, the innocent spouse is allowed a second marriage. For others there are a number of conditions.
Restrictions for re-wedding:
- Penance is established by canonical rules for spouses who are guilty of the first divorce. It is imposed by a priest and is designed to help a person realize sin, sincerely repent, give strength to take the right path and hope for God's Grace.
- Permission for a third wedding is granted in exceptional cases. The period of penance increases.
- Marriage for the fourth time is not allowed.
- Married marriages and unmarried ones, but officially registered with the civil registry office, are taken into account. But only those into which a person entered after receiving the Sacrament of Baptism are taken into account.
Thus, even spouses who were previously debunked due to life circumstances can receive God’s Blessing of their marriage again.
What you need to know about weddings
Reasons that will not allow you to enter into a sacred union:
- The presence of a valid marriage in one of the future spouses.
- Obstacle from parents.
- Presence of blood relationship.
- One of the wedding couple is an atheist.
Upon dissolution of an official marriage, a person legally becomes free from obligations, even if there is a church one. The question of dissolution of the latter usually arises when one of the former spouses wants to get married again. Since debunking has no resemblance to divorce, clergy, when considering such applications, determine the right to the next wedding. To be more precise, the bishop gives permission for the marriage. This is what is called debunking among the secular population. It is given only to the spouse who is not guilty of the termination. The permission indicates a blessing for the subsequent marriage, and also contains the recognition of the previous union as invalid.
The person responsible for the breakup of the family will be punished. It involves excommunication from communion for a period determined by canonical regulations. Only the bishop can reduce it. The second spouse is formally dismarried, but generally loses the opportunity to get married again. However, the church can provide such a chance. To receive it, you need to go through several conversations and repent. It is mandatory to fast, go on pilgrimage, or fulfill another requirement. The priest installs it. In general, such a person is a sinner and will have to go through a very difficult path to get permission again. The period of repentance can vary from three to five years. The clergy have a negative attitude towards second marriage. They believe that such an alliance can be concluded once.
The canonical rule clearly states that even through persuasion and forgiveness, a person can only be married three times.
The opinion of the clergy
As has been repeatedly said, the church is against the breakdown of the family and the process of debunking. The delicacy of this issue gives rise to many opinions from the clergy. Some are very conservative about the reasons for church divorce. Priest Mikhail Samokhin indicates as such only what the Bible suggests. The Holy Book indicates adultery and the death of a spouse as the main reasons for such a process. In addition, he recognizes the correct provisions of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Archpriest Sergius Lepin claims that there is no debunking procedure; people are trying to come up with an excuse for their sinful actions. They themselves are destroying their marriage and can only find witnesses to whom they will tell how they got into trouble. His position on the reasons for termination is similar to the previous clergy. Only he clarifies that not only physical, but also spiritual death is a valid reason. Under the latter, he reveals provisions on mental and venereal diseases, assault, and alcoholism. He considers the concept of a second and third marriage only as an exception, an indulgence towards people, but not the norm.
Archpriest Valerian Krechetov says that only a second wedding is possible. He believes that there is no third one. He also has a negative attitude towards civil marriage, considering it fornication.
As you can see, spiritual ministers have almost similar thoughts on this process. The Church tries with all its might to preserve and strengthen marriage. In addition, the facts of divorce undermine the influence of the clergy on society. The clergy do not stop talking about responsibility and awareness on the path to uniting hearts before God. The Church advises getting married only after several years of official marriage. People should make efforts to ensure that the wedding is not a tribute to tradition, not a beautiful celebration, but a deep spiritual union. Try to think several times, weigh the pros and cons before making such an important decision.
How to request a debunking from a priest
According to the rules, spouses must contact the same priest who performed the wedding ceremony. But if this is not possible, then they can contact any Orthodox church.
First, they talk with the priest, talk about their family life, and explain why they came to this decision. Then a statement is written indicating the date of the wedding, the nuances of living together, and the reasons for the divorce. It is advisable to attach relevant documents to the application.
All this is sent to a higher authority for consideration. The spouses will only have to wait for approval and appear at the church on the appointed date.
What documents are needed
Which document to attach to the divorce application directly depends on life circumstances and the reasons for the divorce. For example it could be:
- death certificate of the spouse;
- certificate of recognition as incompetent or mentally ill;
- a document confirming the fact that the spouse committed a crime;
- certificate of presence of AIDS or sexually transmitted disease;
- certificate declaring a person missing.
Preparation and ceremony
There is no special preparation for debunking. The only thing that is important is to provide supporting documents. This may be the preparatory stage - in receiving them.
Debunking does not require a special church ceremony. A person or couple simply writes an application and waits for the result. The final debunking can be considered to have taken place at the next wedding.
