Good evening,

I am a 26 year old male ( Greek Orthodox), that is planning to marry a Italian Catholic. And obviosly nobody is making this easy on us. My question is. Is it possible to have 2 ceremonies, or one ceremony with 2 Valid churches. We will try and please our parents but in no way will we break up for that reason.

Thank you

-- Michael Lambidonis (mlambidonis@hotmail.com), January 03, 2003

Answers

Hello, Michael.

According to Catholic marriage law, there can be only ONE ceremony. (How could there be a second, when the couple have already married each other?) The clergymen from both faiths should participate, if possible.
The law also provides for the ceremony to be in a Catholic church, but the Catholic bishop would surely permit it to take place in the Orthodox church, if that is what the couple desires.
I recommend that you and your fiancee take a careful look at a certain Vatican document on ecumenism, which has some passages on Catholic/Orthodox relations, sharing of sacraments, etc..

God bless you and your marriage.
John

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), January 03, 2003.

One of the nicest weddings I ever went to in my life was in a Greek Orthodox church where the co-celebrant was a Catholic priest due to the same circumstances as yours. The ceremony was so meaningful..all the family members were moved to tears...not to mention that we danced all night afterwards..and the FOOD! ah, those were the days..but I digress...Once you get your priest and hers together, the families will fall into line nicely wont they?

-- lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), January 04, 2003.