Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Conception during the Great Fast

Question:

Recently, I discovered on a Russian Orthodox website that it is considered a sin in the Orthodox Church for a child to be conceived during the Great Fast, and if such an event does occur,then terrible things will befall that child i.e. health problems, abnormalities of all sorts etc etc. I found this very disturbing because to me it smacks of some Roman Catholic law from the middle ages, and not an area upon which the Church has a right to be imposing itself. to me this somehow implies that the marriage act is in some way sinful. I feel this is a very unhealthy attitude and was very disappointed to learn of this, because up until now I had felt that Orthodoxy had a very balanced view of marriage and human sexuality. and to use such scare tactics is surely above and beyond the call of duty. Forgive me if I am misunderstanding something. Please enlighten me on this matter.

Answer:

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

The idea that there should be no conceptions during the Lenten Fast is because sexual activity is seen as breaking the fast. However, fasting and its disciplines are voluntary - not to be taken lightly, but neither intended to be a whip to enforce morality and spirituality. These can not, be forced upon us. And especially as regards marriage partners, it is paramount that they respect each other and value each other's needs. Thus abstinence from sexual relations must be something upon which they both agree.  The periods of abstinence may vary - and it is important that one sees that this is not an abstinence from an evil thing, but from a good thing - and for the purpose of strengthening an even better thing, i.e. spiritual unfolding (which does not eliminate the good thing).  To put it simply: a matter of priorities rather than a "purgation of the evil flesh".

The exhortation to abstain is definitely not to be viewed as a condemnation of sexual activity as such. That is precious and holy and very many holy people (including the Mother of God herself) have entered the world in this very way. As a matter of fact the Icon for the Feast of the Conception by the Righteous Anna of the Theotokos portrays Joachim and Anna embracing each other standing upon what seems to be a bed. The embrace is spiritual and physical at one and the same time - no dichotomy, no splitting.

A good many people have been conceived during the Great Lent (I believe I myself am one such and so is my sweet, pious sister - and my parents were wonderful folk who loved the Lord) - with no unusually troublesome consequences - except those which regularly befall the inhabitants of planet Earth by which they are expected to humbly, piously, trustingly learn and grow and so by God's mercy and *indispensible* aid become the holy folk we are created to be.

The folk who wrote the dire pronouncements on the website you mention (which one is it by the way?) no doubt meant well, but I certainly believe that they are sincerely mistaken. This is not the way the Church views God and humanity. There is always mercy, and kindness and love. This is, in fact, the fulfilling of the aim of fasting - that *these* should increase rather than fear and recrimination. That is my humble opinion at any rate - I am most certainly not an oracle (nor, may I however venture to say, are these folk of which you speak).

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