RequirementsforsubmittingPaperworkfortheRestorationofSomeoneto
theSacramentalLifeoftheChurch.
Pleasefollowthefollowingguidelineswhensubmittingyourrequestforsomeoneto
berestoredtothesacramentallifeoftheChurch.
1.Firstandforemost,afterapersonisdivorcedheorsheisseparatedfromthe
sacramentsforaperiodoftimeincludingHolyCommunion.Thepersonmaystill
confessandbeabsolvedforothersins,butmustrefrainfrombeingabsolvedforthe
divorceandfromreceivingHolyCommunionuntilthepersonhasbeenrestoredin
writingbytheMetropolitaninallcases.Thisisnotamatterforpastoral
discretion.
2.Thepriest,underallcircumstances,needstowaitatleastsixmonthsfromthe
dateofthefinalcivildivorcedecreebeforewritingforrestoration.Hopefully,ifthe
penitentisanactivememberoftheChurch,thenhe/shehasalreadybeenmeeting
withthepriestandmayhavealreadybeenrefrainingfromHolyCommunionprior
tothelegalendingofthemarriage.Itisveryimportantthatthepastorhave
frequentmeetingswiththedivorcedpersonduringthistimeinordertobecertain
thathis/herrepentanceissincere.Nevertheless,evenifthepersonhasnotbeen
receivingthesacramentsforaperiodsixmonthsorlongerpriortothefinal
judgmentofdivorcebythecivilauthorities,thisminimalsixmonthperiodisstillin
effectstartingfromthedateofthecivildivorcedecree.
NOTE:Aparishionerwhohasbeendivorcedmustnotparticipateinany
sacramentofthechurch(exceptConfession),especiallyHolyCommunion,nor
shouldtheyserveinanyofficialcapacityforthechurch,especiallyasaparish
councilmember,untilsuchtimeastheMetropolitangrantshim/herinwriting
fullrestorationtothesacramentallifeoftheChurch.
3.Whensubmittingthepaperwork,pleaseincludethefollowing:
a.Acopyoftheofficialfinaldecreeofdivorcefromthecivilauthorities.
b.YourrecommendationinanofficialletteraddressedtoHisEminence,
MetropolitanJOSEPH.Thislettershouldstateclearlythereasonthepenitent
wasdivorcedandthecircumstancessurroundingthedivorceinaconcise,
butthoroughway.Inaddition,thedivorcedpersonmustsubmithis/herown
writtenstatementtotheMetropolitanandthismustbeincludedwiththe
pastor’srequest.Inallcases,thereligionofthepetitionersmustbegiven.
IfoneofthepartiesisnotOrthodoxyoumustspecifyhis/herreligionand
includehis/herbaptismalcertificate.TheChristiandenominationthat
issuedthebaptismalcertificatemustbaptizewithwaterintheNameofthe
FatherandtheSonandtheHolySpirit,andmustproclaimatraditional
affirmationofthedogmaoftheHolyTrinity.Pleaserefertothemostrecent
editionoftheArchdiocesanPublicationentitled“TheServiceforthe
ChrismationofConvertsintotheOrthodoxFaith”ifyouhaveanydoubtabout
aparticulardenomination.
c.Youmustusethefollowingsentenceasthelastpartoftheletterif,indeed,
yourecommendthatthepenitentberestored.“Iherebyrecommendbased
onthoroughexamination,that(name)berestoredtothesacramentallifeof
theChurch.”
d.Thepastormustneveragreetoaspecificdateforthemarriageuntilhe
firstreceivesthewrittenapprovalfromtheMetropolitan.
e.A$200.00filingfee(madepayabletotheAntiochianArchdiocese)foreach
divorcedperson.Forexample,ifacouplecomestoyoutogetmarriedandboth
werepreviouslymarriedandneitherhadbeenrestoredtothesacramentallifeof
theChurch,then$400.00mustbesent.Pleasenote,evenifthepersonisnot
OrthodoxorwaspreviouslymarriedbeforebecomingOrthodoxoranyother
circumstance,heorsheisstillrequestingtobemarried,asadivorcedperson,inthe
OrthodoxChurch.Assuch,areviewofthecircumstancesandverificationthatheor
sheistrulydivorcedisnecessary.Insuchacase,wearenotrestoringapersonto
thesacraments,butallowingadivorcedperson,albeitaChristianwhoisnot
Orthodox,tobemarriedintheOrthodoxChurchafterexaminingthefactsofhisor
herdivorce.Insuchcases,youcanmodifyyour“recommendation”tosay“tobe
allowedtomarryintheHolyOrthodoxChurch”ratherthan“toberestoredtothe
sacramentallifeoftheChurch.”Pleasenotethefollowingtwospecial
circumstances:
1. AnOrthodoxpersonhasreceivedaletterfromanotherOrthodox
jurisdictionwhichspecificallystatesthattheyhavebeenrestoredtothe
sacramentallifeoftheChurchafteradivorce.Inthiscase,youmustfirst
writetotheMetropolitan,includeacopyofthisrestoralletter,andask
thatitbeacceptedaspresented.IftheMetropolitanacceptstherestoral
letteraspresented,youwillreceivewrittenconfirmationandnofurther
actionisnecessary.Ifforsomereasontherestorallettercannotbe
accepted,youwillreceivewritteninstructionsastothenextsteps.
2. AnOrthodoxpersonhasreceivedaletterfromanotherOrthodox
jurisdictionwhichgrantsthemanEcclesiasticalDivorce.Inthiscase,you
mustincludethisletterwithyourrequesttotheMetropolitanthatthey
begrantedanOrthodoxmarriage.
f.IfthepenitentisplanningtomarryoverseasorinanotherOrthodoxjurisdiction,
ourletterofrestorationmayhavetobewordeddifferently.Insuchcases,please
statesuchinyourletterorconsultwiththearchdioceseifyouhavequestions.
4.Pleaseberemindedthatwhenbothparitieshavebeenpreviouslymarriedthat
the“OfficeofaSecondMarriage”beused.
5.PleaseberemindedthatinorderforanOrthodoxmarriagetobeconducted,one
ofthepartiesmustbeanOrthodoxChristian,andtheotherpartymustbea
Christianwhohaspresentedavalidbaptismalcertificate.Itisneveracceptableto
marryanOrthodoxChristiantoanon‐Christian.
6.PleaseberemindedthattheSacramentofMarriagemustbeconductedinthe
Orthodoxchurchbuildingunlessaveryspecialcircumstanceexists.(forexamplea
missionrentingasmallspace).Anyrequesttoholdaweddinginanalternatevenue
mustbesubmittedtotheMetropolitanandwrittenpermissionmustbeobtained
fromtheMetropolitan.
7.Pleaseberemindedthatwrittenpermissionmustbeobtainedforanyrequestofa
weddingduringafastingperiodorotherperiodsinwhichweddingsareprohibited,
includingaWednesdayorFriday.Withthatinmind,beawarethatabsolutelyno
requestswillbeconsideredforweddingsduringtheGreatFastortheDormition
Fastunderanycircumstances.PleaseconsulttheClergyGuidewhichspecifiesthe
acceptabletimeperiodsforcelebratingamarriage.