Eastern Orthodoxy

== Holy mysteries (sacraments) ==

Those things which in the West are often termed [[sacraments]] or [[sacramentals]] are known among the Eastern Orthodox as the "sacred mysteries". While the Roman Catholic Church numbers seven sacraments, and many Protestant groups list two (baptism and the Eucharist) or even none, the Eastern Orthodox do not limit the number. However, for the sake of convenience, [[catechism]]s often speak of the seven great mysteries. Among these are [[Holy Communion]] (the most direct connection), [[baptism]], [[Chrismation]], [[Confession (religion)|confession]], [[unction]], [[matrimony]], and [[ordination]]. But the term also properly applies to other sacred actions such as monastic [[tonsure]] or the blessing of [[Holy water in Eastern Christianity|holy water]], and involves fasting, almsgiving, or an act as simple as lighting a candle, burning incense, praying or asking God's blessing on food.{{sfn|Ware|1993|pp=274–277}}

=== Baptism ===

[[File:GreekOrthodoxBaptism1.jpg|thumb|right|An Eastern Orthodox baptism]]

[[Baptism]] is the mystery which transforms the old and sinful person into a new and pure one; the old life, the sins, any mistakes made are gone and a clean slate is given. Through baptism a person is united to the [[Body of Christ]] by becoming a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church. During the service, [[Holy water in Eastern Christianity|water]] is blessed. The catechumen is fully immersed in the water three times in the name of the Trinity. This is considered to be a death of the "old man" by participation in the crucifixion and burial of Christ, and a rebirth into new life in Christ by participation in his resurrection.{{sfn|Ware|1993|pp=277–278}}

Properly, the mystery of baptism is administered by bishops and priests; however, [[Emergency baptism|in emergencies any Eastern Orthodox Christian can baptise]].{{sfn|Ware|1993|p=278}}

=== Chrismation ===

[[Chrismation]] (sometimes called [[confirmation]]) is the mystery by which a baptised person is granted the gift of the [[Holy Spirit]] through anointing with Holy [[Chrism]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oca.org/OCchapter.asp?SID=2&ID=52 |title=The Orthodox Faith |author=Fr. Thomas Hopko |year=1981 |publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press |access-date=11 November 2013 |archive-date=25 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025114723/http://oca.org/OCchapter.asp?SID=2&ID=52 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Ware|1993|pp=278–279}} It is normally given immediately after baptism as part of the same service, but is also used to receive lapsed members of the Eastern Orthodox Church.{{sfn|Harakas|1987|pp=56–57}} As baptism is a person's participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, so Chrismation is a person's participation in the coming of the Holy Spirit at [[Pentecost]].<ref name=ware1993p279>{{harvnb|Ware|1993|p=279}}</ref>

A baptised and chrismated Eastern Orthodox Christian is a full member of the church and may receive the Eucharist regardless of age.<ref name=ware1993p279/>

Anointing with chrism substitutes for the laying-on of hands described in the [[New Testament]].{{sfn|Harakas|1987|p=57}}

=== Holy Communion (Eucharist) ===

[[File:Liturgy St James 1.jpg|thumb|Eucharistic elements prepared for the Divine Liturgy|alt=]]

[[Eucharist|Communion]] is given only to baptised and chrismated Eastern Orthodox Christians who have prepared by fasting, prayer and confession. The priest administers the gifts with a spoon, called a "cochlear", directly into the recipient's mouth from the chalice.{{sfn|Ware|1993|p=287}} From baptism young infants and children are carried to the chalice to receive holy communion.<ref name="ware1993p279" />

=== Repentance (Confession) ===

{{Main|Confession (religion)}}
There are many different practices regarding how often Eastern Orthodox Christians should go to confession. Some Patriarchates advise confession before each reception of [[Holy Communion]], others advise confessing during each of the four fasting periods ([[Great Lent]], [[Nativity Fast]], [[Apostles' Fast]] and [[Dormition Fast]]), and there are many additional variants.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orthodox-christian-comment.co.uk/confession_communion_preparation_for_communion.htm |title=Confession, Communion and Preparation for Communion |date=31 Aug 2007 |website=Orthodox Christian Comment |access-date=11 Apr 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120021323/http://www.orthodox-christian-comment.co.uk/confession_communion_preparation_for_communion.htm |archive-date=20 November 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Marriage ===

{{main|Marriage in the Eastern Orthodox Church}}
[[File:Wedding of Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna by Laurits Tuxen (1895, Hermitage).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The wedding of Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia]].]]

From the Orthodox perspective, marriage is one of the holy mysteries or sacraments. As well as in many other Christian traditions, for example in Catholicism, it serves to unite a woman and a man in eternal union and love before God, with the purpose of following Christ and his Gospel and raising up a faithful, holy family through their holy union.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_02021994_families_en.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405033300/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_02021994_families_en.html|url-status=dead|title=Letter to Families by Pope John Paul II|archive-date=April 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| author = John Meyendorff| title = Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YSSCUO1tonkC&pg=PA13| year = 1975| publisher = St. Vladimir's Seminary Press| isbn = 978-0-913836-05-7| page = 13| access-date = 2016-02-20| archive-date = 2023-09-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230921092743/https://books.google.com/books?id=YSSCUO1tonkC&pg=PA13| url-status = live}}</ref> The church understands marriage to be the union of one man and one woman, and certain Orthodox leaders have spoken out strongly in opposition to the civil institution of [[same-sex marriage]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://saintandrew.net/documents/FINALOrthodoxBishopsProp8Statement.pdf |title=Statement of Orthodox Christian Bishops |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610200407/http://saintandrew.net/documents/FINALOrthodoxBishopsProp8Statement.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2011 |url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oca.org/news/590 |title=OCA Reaffirms SCOBA Statement in Wake of Massachusetts Same-Sex Marriage Ruling |date=17 May 2004 |access-date=4 August 2010 |archive-date=22 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622082955/http://www.oca.org/news/590 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Jesus said that "when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven" (Mk 12:25). For the Orthodox Christian this passage should not be understood to imply that Christian marriage will not remain a reality in the Kingdom, but points to the fact that relations will not be "fleshy", but "spiritual".<ref name=meyendorff70/> Love between wife and husband, as an icon of relationship between Christ and Church, is eternal.<ref name=meyendorff70>{{cite book| author = John Meyendorff| title = Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YSSCUO1tonkC&pg=PA18| year = 1975| publisher = St. Vladimir's Seminary Press| isbn = 978-0-913836-05-7| page = 18| access-date = 2016-02-20| archive-date = 2023-09-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230921092743/https://books.google.com/books?id=YSSCUO1tonkC&pg=PA18| url-status = live}}</ref>

The church does recognise that there are rare occasions when it is better that couples do separate, but there is no official recognition of civil divorces. For the E. Orthodox, to say that marriage is indissoluble means that it should not be broken, the violation of such a union, perceived as holy, being an offense resulting from either adultery or the prolonged absence of one of the partners. Thus, permitting remarriage is an act of compassion of the church towards sinful man.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm|title=Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Orthodox Church: Economia and Pastoral Guidance|publisher=The Orthodox research Institute|author=Mgr. Athenagoras Peckstadt, Bishop of Sinope|date=18 May 2005|access-date=19 November 2008|archive-date=20 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120133149/http://orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/liturgics/athenagoras_remarriage.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Holy orders ===

[[Image:Kheirotonia.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Eastern Orthodox [[subdeacon]] being ordained to the [[diaconate]]. The [[bishop]] has placed his [[omophorion]] and right hand on the head of the candidate and is reading the ''Prayer of [[Christian laying on of hands|Cheirotonia]]''.]]

Widowed priests and [[deacons]] may not remarry and it is common for such members of the clergy to retire to a monastery (see [[clerical celibacy]]). This is also true of widowed wives of clergy, who do not remarry and become nuns when their children are grown. Only men are allowed to receive [[holy orders]], although [[deaconesses]] historically had both liturgical and pastoral functions within the church.<ref name="Karras">{{cite journal |last= Karras |first= Valerie A. |title= Female Deacons in the Byzantine Church |pages= 272–316 |date=June 2004 |journal= Church History |volume= 73 |issue= 2 |doi= 10.1017/S000964070010928X |s2cid= 161817885 |issn= 0009-6407 
}}</ref>

In 2016, the Patriarchate of Alexandria decided to reintroduce the order of deaconess.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-09|title=Orthodox Church debate over women deacons moves one step closer to reality|url=https://religionnews.com/2017/03/09/orthodox-church-debate-over-women-deacons-moves-one-step-closer-to-reality/|access-date=2021-11-12|website=Religion News Service|archive-date=2021-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112025044/https://religionnews.com/2017/03/09/orthodox-church-debate-over-women-deacons-moves-one-step-closer-to-reality/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=|title=Second Day of Deliberations of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria|url=http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=news&action=details&id=1207|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222133346/http://www.patriarchateofalexandria.com/index.php?module=news&action=details&id=1207|archive-date=2016-12-22|access-date=2021-11-12|website=patriarchateofalexandria.com|quote=Regarding the issue of the institution of Deaconesses, it was decided to revive this and a tripartite committee of Hierarchs was appointed for a detailed consideration of the subject.}}</ref> In February 2017, [[Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria|Patriarch Theodore II]] consecrated five women to be deacons within the [[Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Patriarchate of Alexandria]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-11-30|title=Orthodox move for women deacons is 'revitalization' not 'innovation'|url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/theology/orthodox-move-women-deacons-called-revitalization-not-innovation|access-date=2021-11-12|website=National Catholic Reporter|archive-date=2023-03-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326030550/https://www.ncronline.org/news/theology/orthodox-move-women-deacons-called-revitalization-not-innovation|url-status=live}}</ref>