Marriage and Sexuality

Marriage and Sexuality

Marriage in the Orthodox Church is understood as a sacrament, a holy mystery in which a man and a woman are united not merely in a legal or social sense, but spiritually, becoming "one flesh" as described in Genesis and reaffirmed by Christ in the Gospels.

Marriage is not primarily about personal fulfillment or romantic love, though these are not dismissed. Rather, it is a commitment by two people to help one another toward salvation, supporting each other’s spiritual growth and forming a domestic church where children are raised in the faith.

The Orthodox wedding service is deeply theological. The couple is crowned as king and queen of their own small kingdom, and at the same time as martyrs to one another, since marriage requires continual self-sacrifice and the dying of one’s own will for the sake of the other.

The ultimate goal of marriage is to reflect the relationship between Christ and the Church, characterized by mutual submission, sacrificial love, and an orientation toward something greater than the individuals themselves.

Sexuality within marriage is blessed and good, understood as part of God’s creative design for humanity and an expression of the marital union sanctified by the Church.