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Questions & Answers

Intercultural Marriages

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Marriage and Family › Intercultural Marriages

The question

For a Russian Orthodox to get married to a Coptic Orthodox member, does he require to be baptized?

The answer

In order for a person to be married in our Coptic Orthodox Church he/she has to be a baptized member of the church.

Our Coptic Orthodox Church accepts the baptism of the Eastern Orthodox churches. So a person from these churches e.g. Russian Orthodox who would like to join our church, does not have to be baptized. However, he/she needs to learn about the differences between the two Churches, learn about our history and traditions. The best venue for this is to attend a catechumen class in the local Coptic Church. The priest of the church will supply the person with some books about the Coptic Orthodox Church and have some sessions to discuss the faith and the dogmas of the church.

Afterward, the priest would anoint the person with the Holy Mayroun and he/she would become a full member of the church.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 534 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.