The lecturer affirms that marriage in the Church is meant to be a sacred religious sacrament performed by the work of the Holy Spirit and priestly rites, and that the Church does not recognize civil or “customary” marriage as a legitimate marriage.

Impediments and kinship
He explains that there are impediments to marriage because of kinship and lineage as stated in the Holy Bible (the book of Leviticus), including the prohibition of marrying the sister of the husband or the sister of the wife. He also shows that the two spouses become “one” so that the kinship of each becomes kinship for the other and thus constitutes prohibitions.

States of the marriage applicant
He defines three states before the priest: virgin (never married), widower, and divorced. Each case requires specific documents and certificates to prove the situation (a certificate of never having married before, a marriage certificate, a wife’s death certificate, or investigation by the priest or witnesses). In the case of divorce, the divorced person is referred to the clerical council to study the reason for the divorce and whether it conforms to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.

Engagement and gifts
The engagement is recorded as a protocol and is not considered a final contract; the one who breaks the engagement loses the ring and the fixed gifts while consumable gifts remain with the other party. The lecturer draws attention to practical problems such as manipulating the ring’s value to avoid taxes.

Announcement procedures and time between engagement and wedding
He explains the necessity of announcing the engagement and marriage and having witnesses and agents, and prefers leaving a period of not less than two weeks between engagement and marriage so the matter is announced on the church notice board and to prevent any fraud or objections related to legal impediments.

Divorce and its reasons
He confirms that the established reason for divorce in the Gospels is adultery, and also refers to provisions for separation when spouses differ in religion as in Paul’s epistle (separation when the religion changes), clarifying the Church’s procedures toward those who changed their denomination or attempted to use change of denomination to circumvent the laws.

Spiritual and educational dimension
The spiritual dimension highlights the sanctification of the marital relationship as a permanent institution based on spiritual and legal union, applying canon and liturgical practice to protect the sanctity of this union and preserve the family according to Coptic Orthodox faith.

Practical conclusion
The lecture connects the biblical text, canonical law, and practical procedures; it emphasizes verifying the applicants’ situations, respecting kinship impediments, transparency in announcing engagement and marriage, and the necessity that the Church be the spiritual and legal reference in personal status matters.

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