Birth control and the Orthodox Christian Couple
Marriage, for the Orthodox Christian, is to have as it’s foundation, Jesus Christ, and a commitment to live in full communion with the Church. When a couple are joined together in this mystical (sacramental) union with one another, they become one flesh, and begin their relationship as one. The crowning ceremony in the Orthodox service symbolizes martyrdom of self and a commitment to sacrifice self-will for the good of the marriage.
Marriage is not about sexual gratification, although sexual intimacy is an important component of any healthy marriage. But the intimacy of the marriage bed must be open to the possibility of having children. The Church allows no form of contraception that is abortifacient, and the Fathers of the Church, such as Ss. Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom, Epiphanios, Jerome, Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Caesarious, Gregory the Great, Augustine of Canterbury and Maximos the Confessor, all explicitely condemned abortion as well as the use of abortifacients.
The bottom line is that a Christian couple must be open to having children. A couple who would choose to have no children, or limit the number of children based on a desire for financial and lifestyle security, forgo the joy that only children can bring to a Christian marriage. Birth control should never be based on selfish motives, or the desire to live a more comfortable lifestyle. This life is not meant for personal gratification, nor personal gain, but that we might give glory and worship to God in all we do.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: A professor friend sent me this “meme” she’d received from one of her students. I love it, and wanted to share it with my readers.
Wednesday February 24, 2016 / February 11, 2016
Week of the Publican and the Pharisee. Tone five.
Fast-free Week. Fast-free
Hieromartyr Blaise, bishop of Sebaste (316).
St. Vsevolod (in holy baptism Gabriel), prince and wonderworker of Pskov (1138).
Venerable Demetrius, monk of Priluki (Vologda) (1392).
St. Theodora, wife of Emperor Theophilus the Iconoclast (867).
St. Gobnait, abbess of Ballyvourney, Cork (Ireland) (7th c.) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Caedmon of Whitby, monk (680) (Celtic & British).
Venerable George (Kratovac) the Greatmartyr of Serbia (Greek).
Hieromartyr Lucius of Adrianopolis in Thrace (348).
St. Benedict of Aniane (821) (Gaul).
Scripture Readings
2 Peter 3
God’s Promise Is Not Slack
3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The Day of the Lord
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Be Steadfast
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Mark 13:24-31
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! 30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Blessed Abbot Tryphon,
Several of my 7th grade students will be entering public school next year. In their last quarter of school here at St.John of Kronstadt, I’d like them to compose a series of essays regarding their Faith’s stand on certain issues, like abortion, evolution, and homosexual ‘marriage,’ so that when they encounter the falsehoods of our society, they stand firm with the Fathers and know what to think. I would greatly appreciate advice regarding specific passages of text to use for this project.
In Christ, Helena
The very best way to prepare young people for a life in the Church, is to help them build a relationship with Christ. All the quotes from the Church Fathers will be of no benefit if they do not know God.
Amen. Bless you Father, so good to see that you’re feeling better.
What about sterilization methods such and vasoligation and tubal ligation? These both take away the possibility of having children. It seems that some priests would allow this as a pastoral condescension to human weakness.
Thank you, father, for this very important truth. And I must express, I LOVE the photo!! I pray you are doing well and feeling better. As always, you are in my prayers.
When Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Church’s unbroken teaching on artificial contraception in Humanae Vitae, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I stated, “we are in total agreement with you.”
I am very sad to see that most jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church have gone the way of the world and now permit non-abortifacient artificial contraception. All Christian denominations for centuries condemned all forms of artificial contraception until the 1930’s when the Anglicans caved to the pressure of the godless. With Islam rising in the world as it is, one now wants to give a “blessing” to couples to contracept??? We need BIG Christian families now than ever before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwEERLCXfLI
Br. Alexey — As a Greek Catholic, I couldn’t agree more. There is much more to the evil of ALL methods of artificial contraception than simply the abortifacient properties of some methods.
Humanae Vitae itself and the writings of St. John Paul II are well worth exploring for Eastern Christians.
I just wanted to comment on the photo. That is great! It made me laugh. I love Lord of the Rings. That was a great idea for a photo.
Thank you for clarifying what’s the position of the church on the topic of contraception. Similar to Catholicism but not as legalistic sounding. The thing re: openness to children in marriage is interesting. It’s even written within the Orthodox wedding service. I was surprised when I heard this six years ago when I attended a wedding at a Russian Orthodox Church as the bride and groom were both over 65 and clearly incapable of reproduction.
A friend and priest counsels that a couple should not seek God’s blessing of children in the afternoon at their wedding
then go to the marriage bed and immediately exclude Him with contraception.
Hello Abbot Tryphon,
Your remarks well explain the High Culture values from a Christian sacramental marriage.
The masses at large so programmed by the money changers into consumption values for their lifestyle, would largely never come to be touched by what you have raised. Pity.
An understanding of the Great One’s design of physiology and the reproductive system of mankind, exposes a natural phenomena that provides and allows for Christian sacramental marriage in its fullness, and also for living within personal circumstances.
Thank you for your Holy Work,
Tom
It seems to me the Church allows for responsible spacing of children in order to ensure the many needs (spiritual, educational, physical) of children are met, the health of the mother, a families ability to have adequate support for true necessities. That in addition to being open to God and children there also exists a responsibility to be a good steward of God’s pro creative gift. And that the options for a means to spacing children or if circumstances require the means to ceasing to bear more children, are abstinence, natural family planning and barrier methods. True?
I have a question about this.
We would love to have more children. But age for us is a factor, both of us married really late. So the physical complications for me with our child was terrible and I still have issues from it. So while I could potentially concieve, given how quickly or first came, my body would likely never recover.
Where do we put our need to be responsible parents who can give the children the best opportunity for success with our time and availability stand.
I’m a Catholic considering conversion to Orthodoxy, for very many reasons. However, learning that the Orthodox Church, despite it’s claims to have faithfully preserved the tradition without change, has actually dropped it’s 2000-year long opposition to all forms of birth control and now permits barrier methods, which St. John Chrysostom called “murder before conception”, has presented a major stumbling block for me. It is very disappointing, and betrays the meaning of “Orthodoxy.” If the experience of the Catholic world is any indication, where a majority of Catholics rejected the teaching and use contraception anyway, you Orthodox are in for real trouble as families shrink, vocations drop, grace vanishes and the spiritual life withers and dies, due to the pernicious effects of evil and sinful contraception, the very opposite of the life-giving love we are called to be as members of the Body of Christ. Theosis, divinization, is impossible when you are blocking the Holy Spirit, giver of life and source of your deification, by literal barriers to life in your body. For your own good, please repent and return to your original and full Orthodox teaching!