How does the Catholic, Greek Catholic or Orthodox Christian Church view the wedding option for a pregnant woman. Is it possible for pregnant women to get married? Wedding for a pregnant woman

Sometimes it happens that until the moment official registration marriage and church wedding rites, 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's 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.

Orthodoxy on special wedding occasions

If non-Christians get married, then the church recognizes their unmarried union as legal and does not consider it a sin. In this case, the marriage must be concluded within the legal framework of the country of residence, and fidelity by the spouses is the basis of their union.

If in an unmarried marriage only one spouse gained faith in God, then the church does not allow the destruction of such a family. A believing spouse remains faithful to his half and prays for her. When both spouses believe in Christ, the church, at their joint desire, will accept such a couple for a wedding. If the future husband and wife believe in God, and both of them are baptized in the church, then the wedding ceremony can be performed at any stage of pregnancy by a young woman.

The Church believes that a couple getting married while their future spouse is pregnant is not a sin. After all, according to church canons, sin is fornication, and pregnancy is a Divine mystery, the mystery of the appearance of the life of a new person.

The clergy advise not to look for the reasons for the spouses' troubles in the wedding of a pregnant woman. Believers should always know that all sorrows and trials are sent to us by God, and the reason for everything that happens in the family is his love for us. And sorrows, illnesses, and misfortunes bring benefits to Christians in eternity. Therefore, it is so important not to grumble, not to look for reasons for grief and not to be indignant, but to treat what is happening with gratitude. Only then will the married couple be with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Features of a wedding during pregnancy

Any priest will tell you that it is possible to get married while pregnant. A woman in this position is pure before God, since he blessed a new life in her womb. Pregnant women definitely need it.

As for the wedding ceremony in this position, the woman needs to monitor her well-being. The wedding ceremony itself lasts about an hour, and the couple must stand all this time. There are situations when a pregnant woman may become ill, for example, her blood pressure may drop and rise. Then the clergyman or one of the guests moves a bench to ease the woman’s position. It would be a good idea to take ammonia to church and be ready to help the pregnant woman.

Due to such situations during the ceremony, it is better to get married in comfortable shoes and clothes. The outfit should not tighten the stomach, chest so that the woman can breathe freely.

A prerequisite before the wedding is confession and communion of the couple. Having decided on a church blessing of marriage, a pregnant woman must ask the Mother of God wellness during the wedding. The priest who will perform the ceremony must be warned about the woman’s pregnancy.

So, a pregnant woman not only can, but also needs to get married. After all, in this way God blesses her with her husband and her unborn child.

Especially for Elena TOLOCHIK

The sacrament of marriage provides the opportunity for unanimity and grace in family life if the spouses try to live according to the commandments of God. Since such a quality as chastity is often violated in our time, the question arises: is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married in a church?

The meaning of the sacrament of wedding

You need to understand that the sacrament of wedding, like any other, is not a rite. This is the personal presence of God at the wedding celebration. If it so happens that by the time of the wedding the woman is already carrying a baby under her heart, then this is not an obstacle to the wedding.

Therefore, the answer to the question: is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married in a church, is positive, and moreover, necessary.

A married couple who has legalized their relationship in accordance with the legislation of the country, by entering into marriage, is recognized by the Church as a full-fledged family, and not as people committing the sin of fornication. It’s just that at this wedding, for various reasons, the Lord was not yet among the welcome guests. When a husband and wife decide to get married, this is exactly the attitude they should have toward the sacrament.

Lord and Holy Mother of God will be the main guests at this celebration. With icons of the Savior and the Virgin Mary, parents bless their children for marriage.

Get married or wait?

In the Orthodox Church you can often hear a negative opinion about whether a pregnant woman can get married. This is due to prejudices and signs that have nothing to do with faith.

Of course, maintaining chastity, that is, the absence of premarital relations, gives the relationship between a man and a woman a spiritual height, an expensive edge.

But it happens that a couple is spiritually immature and the wedding is postponed for an indefinite period.

Therefore, the priests in the church, answering the question of whether it is possible for already married couples to marry a pregnant woman, recommend a conscious approach to this sacrament.

Preparation for the wedding is mandatory. For this you need the following attributes:

icon of Jesus Christ;
icon of the Mother of God;
wedding rings;
wedding candles;
white towel

A preliminary spiritual and educational conversation with the priest is also necessary. Especially if the couple is new, that is, recently embarked on the path of Christianity.

According to tradition, witnesses must be present, but this is only a recommendation. If you still choose them, pay attention to what criteria this choice is based on. It’s good if they are believers or want to become one.

That is, for an unmarried couple expecting the birth of a baby, you need to understand that if the conception of a child has already occurred in sin, you must hurry so that his birth happens in the law, both spiritual and social.

The experience of many couples has proven that a wedding even helps in solving the problems of a pregnant woman’s well-being. The grace received in the sacrament of wedding will have a beneficial effect on both the family as a whole and the baby.

The wedding meal should be organized without any entertainment or pleasure. The expectant mother requires a calm atmosphere that promotes peace of mind.

Obstacles to wedding

There are situations in which the wedding cannot take place. If both or one of the spouses is not baptized. One of the spouses declares himself an atheist, and gave consent only at the insistence of the other half.

Weddings are allowed no more than 3 times, and if the wedding was with another person and he is alive, the issue is decided by the ruling bishop. Consanguineous marriages are not permitted.

You also need to take into account the canonical periods in which weddings are permitted. On fast days, Tuesday and Thursday, cheese week and Easter week, the sacrament is not performed.

More precisely, this information can be clarified with a priest or guided by the church calendar.

The main thing is that participation in the sacrament is desired and of the good will of both spouses. Then grace becomes a tangible state not only on a spiritual level, but on a physical one.

Most young couples want the child to be born in a legal marriage, and if the spouses are believers, then in a sanctified marriage. But it doesn’t always work out as planned, and then the question arises: is it possible to get married while pregnant, as the Orthodox Church views this?

How does the church view pregnancy?

I want to say right away that the opinion that pregnant women are allegedly not allowed not only to get married, but even just to go to church is wrong. And every priest will not only agree that this is complete nonsense, but it can also have a negative impact on the girl.

The Church treats a pregnant girl with special reverence, believing that God’s grace rests on her, because she carries a new life within herself. So a girl is not only allowed to be in church if she is expecting a child, but she will be surrounded by attention and care there.

When a girl comes to church, she needs to turn to God in prayer and thank him for rewarding her with such a miracle as a child. By the way, no one in the church should ask whether the girl is married to the father of the unborn child or not. It is believed that the Lord has already blessed you and that is enough.

Is it permissible for a pregnant woman to get married in a church?

As you know, our state is considered secular and the church has no right to interfere with its laws. Therefore, any marriage registered in the registry office is recognized by the church.

If the child was conceived in a marriage that is officially registered, then there is no sin;
If a child was conceived outside of marriage, this is considered a sin, but the very fact of pregnancy is a blessing from God, and therefore forgiveness of sin. Therefore no one will judge you;
A wedding is possible if the girl is pregnant; there are no prohibitions on this matter and, on the contrary, it is only welcomed by the church.

Unfortunately, many people now get married not because they really believe in God, but simply in pursuit of fashion. This approach is extremely disapproved of by the church, because wedding is an ancient sacrament that helps those who really want it to become closer to God.

In fact, it only depends on the girl’s health. It is worth remembering that the ceremony takes about an hour on average and all this time you will need to stand on the nones, for some this will be quite a difficult test.

In what cases is a couple prohibited from getting married in a church?

The church has a ban on the number of marriages; after the third marriage, weddings are not allowed;
A wedding is possible only if both of those who decide to marry are Christians;
It is also forbidden for an unbaptized person to get married;
Marriage between blood relatives is impossible;
Before getting married, you need to officially register your relationship (an exception is if the marriage registration is announced the next day after the wedding).

Before the wedding, you need to come to the church and talk to the priest, he must give his consent to the wedding and tell you how the ceremony will take place.

Make sure that the outfit is not only beautiful, but also comfortable. The ritual will last about an hour and you will need to stand all this time, so shoes should not be high-heeled or too hard. Try to choose a looser dress so that it does not tighten your chest and makes it easier for you to breathe;
Before the wedding, usually the day before the ceremony, the couple must confess and receive communion;
Even if the pregnancy is invisible, there is no need to hide it from the priest, tell him everything as it is;
Take ammonia with you, the bride may feel ill, but thanks to ammonia the girl can be easily brought back to her senses.

I also note that the church allows pregnant women to get married, but does not allow unbaptized people. Therefore, before getting married, if you have not yet been baptized, you will have to perform this rite and only after that hold the wedding.

How to prepare for a wedding

You need to prepare for the wedding and follow a number of rules before the ceremony. On the eve of the wedding, the couple must confess and receive communion, and this also requires preparation:

A three-day fast, during which time the couple must limit themselves in food, thoughts and words, as well as in family life;
The couple should read special prayers at this time.

Before the ceremony, the priest conducts a conversation with the newlyweds, gives guidance in family life and talks about Christian laws.

What to prepare for the wedding

To carry out the ritual, paired icons are needed (most often these are the Savior and Mother of God), it is customary that the parents of the newlyweds bring icons to the wedding;
Wedding rings are also an important attribute for a wedding; they symbolize the fidelity of the couple;
Wedding candles. I advise you to buy candles large sizes, because they should burn and not go out throughout the entire ceremony, also purchase a stand for them or handkerchiefs with which you will hold the candles so as not to get burned by the wax;
White towel. It does not need to be decorated with patterns (you can buy it locally);

Wedding clothes

There are no clear requirements for the choice of clothing, but remember that modesty adorns a girl. When choosing an outfit, make sure that it emphasizes your modesty and decency. You can also get married in wedding dress, if it is not too open.

As I said above, first of all, a pregnant woman needs to take care of comfortable shoes;
The dress should be loose and not restrict movement;
Bare areas of the body are not allowed; if the dress has such features, you need to take care of the cape;
An important wedding attribute is a veil (it can be replaced with a scarf).

Wedding is a beautiful sacrament that is held in churches and temples. In this way, the newlyweds confirm their love before God and promise never to part with each other, no matter what happens to them.

It often happens that people get married because the bride is pregnant. No, we are not talking about forced marriages. After all, there is often a situation when young people love each other and have been living together for five or ten years, but they have not yet decided to get married. Sometimes the reason for this may be a difficult financial situation. And when they find out about pregnancy, they certainly want to enter into a legal marriage so that the child will be born into a full-fledged family. If the love is strong, then many couples also decide to get married.

The question of whether it is possible to get married while pregnant has recently become increasingly relevant. It will be discussed below.

Church, pregnancy and marriage

Believers treat pregnant women with special care and reverence, since a woman is born in the womb. new life. In addition, church ministers consider the mother to be a holy woman, since she decided to bear the fetus and take care of it. Such a woman is to some extent equated to the Holy Virgin Mary, she is respected and treated with special respect.

It is worth immediately noting that not a single temple employee will approve of a civil marriage; priests and holy people only maintain relationships that are enshrined not only in the registry office, but also within the walls of the temple. If the newlyweds have already become legal spouses, then the sacrament of the wedding of a pregnant woman and her husband will be no different from the wedding of a simple married couple.

Not every pregnant woman has a legal spouse. And by church standards, the wedding of people living in a civil marriage is considered a sin. But, despite this, churches do not refuse people to hold weddings. It is believed that since a woman is carrying a child, her soul is pure and all sins are written off from her.

The Lord blesses a couple who are expecting a child. In general, in order to carry and give birth to a healthy baby, you need to attend church as often as possible. You will have to make your trips more frequent before the sacrament itself, and it is recommended to go to church with your future spouse. It is worth noting that the temple does not bless relationships in which one of the partners has married more than four times.

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.

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.

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.

Wedding after the registry office

The ideal option is to visit the temple immediately after the registry office, that is, after marriage, this will be done according to church traditions. In other words, two procedures - registration and wedding - must be carried out by spouses on the same day.

Those Christians who truly believe in God believe that having children with an unmarried couple is a real sin. That is, if for some reason you did not get married before conceiving a child, you need to do it now.

If you believe the Bible, then it’s worth getting married if only so that the birth will be easy, and after this process both the mother and the child will quickly recover. According to biblical legends, a married woman in labor will be pure before giving birth.
After the wedding, a woman's pregnancy becomes blessed by God, which means that parents and their child are bound by sacred bonds.
If a pregnant woman believes in God, then until childbirth and even after it, she should go to the temple. And a week or two before giving birth, it is advisable to receive the blessing of the priest.

You should not visit the temple immediately after the birth of a child; this can only be done after the baby is 40 days old. It is believed that before this period the woman still has discharge. If after 40 days they have not stopped, it is forbidden to enter the threshold of the temple.

It is worth noting that not all couples get married on the day they register their relationship. But this is not a problem, since you can appear before God several months and even years after marriage in the registry office.

In what cases can a pregnant woman not get married?

The question of whether a pregnant woman can get married raises a lot of controversy. As mentioned above, in the church pregnancy is not a ban on weddings, but some people still believe that pregnant girls should not undergo this ceremony.

Every believer knows that a wedding is a voluntary procedure. It is not a very common situation when a woman wants to consolidate her relationship before God, but her husband is against it. And then the girl begins to persuade him and convince him of the advisability of this procedure. This is absolutely not worth doing.

Those whose spouse is against this sacrament should not get married, since this should be the mutual desire of both. There are no other reasons why you should postpone the sacrament of marriage. But it is worth noting that only baptized people can get married.

It is worth keeping in mind that if you are not confident in yourself or your partner, then it is better not to take sin on your soul and not get married.

Wedding is a sacrament that has been revered by people since ancient times. Today, married couples are increasingly tying their union before God, but not everyone understands the significance of this ritual. Some people get married because they sincerely believe in their love and that the union will last a long time, but, unfortunately, there are also couples who undergo this ceremony only because it is fashionable.

Is it a sin for a pregnant woman to get married? What does the Orthodox Church think about this? Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky answers these questions.

Is it a sin to get married while pregnant? Archpriest's answer

Good afternoon For many years now I have been tormenting myself with doubts, not knowing whether I did the right thing. When my husband and I got married, I was pregnant, but I really wanted to get married to him. I thought that this was even for the best, that our child would be closer to us spiritually. But then they told me that getting married while pregnant is great sin. And now I don’t know if this will harm my child? 16 years have already passed, and I am sick all the time, and my child is sick. Isn't this our condition a punishment for the wedding ceremony? Tatiana

Archpriest Konstantin OSTROVSKY, rector of the Assumption Church in the city of Krasnogorsk, Moscow Region, dean of the churches of the Krasnogorsk district of the Moscow diocese, answers:

— Dear Tatyana! In your small question, you touched on several important topics at once: about chastity, about church sacraments, about the birth of a person into the world.

Thank God that you and your husband, although belatedly, legalized your family relationships. Then you, already pregnant, got married, but fell into embarrassment because of someone’s empty words.

Wedding is a church sacrament with which Orthodox Christians should begin their married life. But for non-Christians, the Church recognizes the legality of their unmarried marriages, and we do not consider the families of non-Christians to be prodigal cohabitants. If these people entered into a marriage in accordance with the laws of their country and live as a family, the Church recognizes the legality and inviolability of such a marriage. Therefore, if non-church people lived in a legal but unmarried marriage and one of them believed in Christ and the other did not, then the believing spouse should not destroy his unmarried family, but should maintain marital fidelity and pray for the half who has not yet believed. But if both spouses believe, then, of course, they can and should get married, no matter what month of pregnancy the wife is at that time. After all, a wedding is not a magical ceremony, but a teaching of God’s blessing to the husband and wife on their married life. If Christians have entered into a legal marriage, then the Church blesses it, and there is and cannot be anything bad in God’s blessing.

Those who told you that it is a great sin simply do not understand the essence of the matter. This fornication is a great sin, and pregnancy is the Divine mystery of the birth of a new life, and in the sacrament of wedding, God's deep blessing is poured out on the family.

But you are confused by thoughts about the causes of your and your son’s illnesses. Diseases have many causes: heredity, infections, unhealthy environment, your own carelessness, an unhealthy lifestyle - you can continue and deepen this series. But we all must remember that the main reason for everything that happens is God’s love for us. And this applies not only to pleasant things, for which we are always ready to thank everyone, and at the same time God. This applies no less, but even more so, to illnesses and sorrows. Even when illnesses and sorrows are direct consequences of our actions, they in themselves are the mercy of God. We are simply not used to looking at things from this perspective.

Our actions can be bad, they can be good, they can be nothing, but their consequences, and everything that befalls us, sometimes unexpectedly and, apparently, illogically, brings us benefit in eternity. If, of course, we accept what happens to us without complaining, and even better - with gratitude.

All people suffer, all get sick and eventually die. The Lord himself suffered, was crucified and died on the cross. And the one who decides to follow Christ on the way of the cross will be with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, dear Tatyana, do not torment yourself by searching for the causes of your illnesses and sufferings, but endure them without complaining, and God will comfort you in a way you did not expect.

There are often cases when, during the registration of a marriage in the registry office and the wedding ceremony in a church, the future wife is in an interesting position. That is why, among those wishing to get married, questions arise regarding relationship Orthodox Church for the wedding of women expecting a child.

How does the church feel about the wedding of pregnant women?

If Orthodox Christians get married, their desire to seal their marriage with a wedding is quite natural. Thus, those getting married want their offspring to have God's blessing. But what can you do, is it possible to get married while pregnant if the bride is expecting a child before the wedding? Or did you find out about an interesting situation shortly before the sacrament?

There are many opinions on this matter. One of them boils down to the fact that sex before marriage is debauchery, and that is why a pregnant woman is prohibited from getting married. Others are sure that it is easy to receive a church blessing at any stage of pregnancy.

There is an opinion that a baby should come into this world from married parents. But lovers entering family life should not take into account the point of view of ordinary people, but should consult a temple minister on this matter. Clergy explain to parishioners that a wedding is the spiritual sanctification of the family life of the newlyweds. And the church has the right to bless the newlyweds.

According to church canons, family life begins with the sacrament of wedding. So the newlyweds are blessed by God for happy life together and vow not to separate under any circumstances.

Special wedding occasions

If non-Christians get married, then the church recognizes their unmarried union as legal. But the marriage must be concluded in the country of residence. The basis of the union of young people in this case is loyalty to each other. If in such a marriage only one of the spouses is a believer, the church does not allow such a marriage to be destroyed. One spouse prays for the other.

Regarding pregnancy, is it possible to perform a wedding ceremony at any stage of pregnancy? The Church believes that the wedding of young people during a woman’s pregnancy is not a sin, because the birth of a new life is a Divine secret. Priests recommend not to look for the reasons for the misfortune in the fact that the bride got married while pregnant.

Features of a wedding during pregnancy

The Church allows those who are pregnant to get married. But expectant mothers should definitely attend church services. As for the ritual itself, a woman should carefully monitor her well-being. After all, the ceremony itself takes 40–60 minutes, and the couple endures it while standing on their feet.

Sometimes pregnant women don't feel very well. They may have pressure surges. Then the church ministers offer the woman to sit on a bench. You can take ammonia and tablets with you to normalize blood pressure. A wedding dress should be comfortable. It should not tighten the chest and stomach.

Before performing the sacred sacrament, the couple must confess and receive communion. The priest who will conduct the ceremony must be informed about the woman’s situation. If everything is ready, you can go for God's blessing. It is also advisable to go to the temple 40 days after giving birth. This is necessary so that the priest reads the woman’s prayers. Then you can come to the temple for the baptism of the child.

Couples who are not married by the church

During pregnancy, couples living in a civil marriage cannot perform a wedding ceremony.

But there are other restrictions:

wedding is prohibited if the lovers were not baptized or not Christians;
marriage takes place for the fourth time;
if one of the spouses is officially married to another person;
Blood relatives cannot marry. If none of the above applies to lovers, the couple can calmly get married in order to become husband and wife not only before people, but also before God.

Preparation for the wedding

Sometimes people are concerned about such a question as preparing for the sacrament. Compared to ancient times, weddings are carried out somewhat differently. Therefore, young people are obliged to know about traditions:

both in the old days and today, the bride and groom are obliged to confess and receive communion;
fasting for three days is required, as well as reading prayers before the wedding;
on the eve of the ceremony, the holy father talks with young people, instructs them on the true path;
For the ceremony, it is recommended to buy icons of the Savior - the groom and the Mother of God-bride. Typically, they are carried to the ceremony by their parents;
purchased for wedding wedding rings. It is better to buy the rest (candles, towel) directly in the church.

After the registry office to the temple

The best option would be to get married in a church after the wedding ceremony at the registry office. In this case, everything will take place according to Orthodox norms. Religious Christians are convinced that giving birth to children before marriage is a great sin. They get married while pregnant. After all, the Bible says that a married woman is clean during childbirth. They will pass easily, and the baby will come into this world healthy.

Pregnancy after wedding receives the blessing of the Lord. WITH at this moment baby and parents are bound in a sacred bond in heaven. Before giving birth, the expectant mother should go to church. Before giving birth, it is better to receive the priest’s blessing, confess and receive communion.

But within 40 days after the baby arrives At birth, a woman in labor has no right to visit the temple. Only after this period of time has passed can a woman cross the threshold of the church.

There is an opinion that a pregnant woman cannot get married in a church. What is the reason for these rumors? Sometimes one of the spouses is against the wedding. Therefore, a forced wedding will not lead to anything good. This is recognized as a sin. Spouses will live happily ever after only by mutual decision. There are no other barriers to a woman getting married during pregnancy.

Today, the attitude of young people towards this sacrament has changed somewhat. Couples are increasingly bonding before God, but it doesn't always show seriousness. younger generation to marriage.

Why perform a wedding sacrament?

Many couples who got married in the registry office believe that going to the altar is not at all necessary. Especially if the family is already waiting for the baby. But the fact is that time passes, views on the worldview change, and people receive more and more traditions from the West. There, relationships are formalized after conception or after the birth of a baby.

If the future spouses are believers, they decide to get married. If the sacrament is performed in a family where one of the newlyweds is not an adherent of Orthodox rites, then the second spouse prays for his health and success. By spiritual standards this family is complete and deserves God's blessing.

To the question whether it is possible to get married while pregnant, the answer is unequivocal - it is possible. But if the spouses believed in God while married and decided to get married by mutual consent and their own will, and not under pressure modern society, then pregnancy cannot be an obstacle to this intention. After all, Christian families are created in order to be support and support for each other and to continue their family line.

Pregnancy is a special time in the life of any woman, with which both joyful emotions and many superstitions and speculations are associated. Many people, including those who often visit temples, argue that getting married while expecting a child is a sinful act.

Pregnancy and visiting the temple

The opinion about the prohibition of entering into a church marriage during pregnancy is often expressed by people who consider themselves true Christian believers. They believe that a pregnant woman should not go to church at all. But the official position of the Orthodox Church is diametrically opposed to this opinion of professed Christians.

A wedding during pregnancy should be a common decision of the spouses

The clergy say that the only obstacles for a woman to visit the temple are the following circumstances:

monthly bleeding;
40 days after childbirth or miscarriage.

The Church notes that pregnant women can and even should visit the temple. The following factors may be an obstacle to coming to the House of the Lord:

lack of desire in the expectant mother;
the lady’s physical condition and medical restrictions;
odor intolerance characteristic of a state of toxicosis.

Pregnancy is a gift from God to a man and a woman, which means the woman who received it is a welcome guest in the temple.

The essence of the wedding ceremony

A negative attitude towards entering into a church marriage during pregnancy lies in a misunderstanding of the essence of this sacrament. A wedding is a sacrament of consecration of a marriage relationship, at which the Lord and... They give the couple their blessing and strengthen their spiritual union.

Church attitude

To accurately answer the question: is it possible for a couple expecting a child to get married, it is necessary to know the church’s attitude towards premarital intimate relationships and secular marriage.

Obstacles to church marriage

If a married couple expecting a child decides to get married, then they must make sure that there are no circumstances in their family that would prevent a church marriage. These include the following facts:

A man and a woman must voluntarily agree to undergo the Sacrament of Wedding. They must express their consent during a preliminary public conversation with a representative of the church - a priest.
The Church Sacrament is performed only after the conclusion of a civil marriage. In some special cases, the head of the diocese may make an exception for seriously ill people and soldiers who will take part in military operations.
A marriage that does not comply with civil canons cannot be sanctified by the church. You should know that the church recognizes only the first 3 unions as legal, which include both secular and church marriages.
The Church will not hold a wedding with an unbaptized person, or a person who calls himself an atheist.
It is prohibited for a man and a woman who are related by blood, spiritual or social relationship to get married.
An obstacle is the presence of a married couple if the second participant is alive. The decision to dissolve a church marriage in this case and enter into a new one can only be made by the ruling bishop.
People who have changed their gender are prohibited from entering into church marriage.

Sanctifying the marital relationship of a pregnant married woman is not a sin

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 to the expectant mother you have to stand on your 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. carried out at the end. 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.

Is it possible for a pregnant woman to get married? Priest's advice