DIOCESE RESOURCES
Serving the faithful of the Diocese of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky in matters of family affairs and ecclesiastical marriage.
The Clerical Council for Family Affairs of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky Local District was established by His Grace Bishop Peter to serve the congregation of the diocese. The Council is the tribunal authorized by the Coptic Orthodox Church to adjudicate applications for remarriage, grant or refuse permissions to remarry, and handle all related family affairs.
Effective June 2016, the council is presided over by His Grace Bishop Peter of the Holy Diocese of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky and its affiliated regions.
The Council is headquartered at the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Kentucky in Raleigh, NC. Sessions are held as needed.
The Council seeks to apply the teachings of the Holy Bible and Church Law and to protect the rights and dignity of each person without discrimination, in full confidentiality and professionalism.
In case of any disagreement with the Local Council's decisions, applicants may appeal to the Clerical Council for Family Affairs - Americas District located at the Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of North America in Cedar Grove, NJ.
The Coptic Orthodox Church holds marriage as a sacred sacrament, a holy bond blessed by God through the prayers of the Church. For a comprehensive overview of the Church's teachings on marriage, please visit the Americas District Council's resource.
Coptic Orthodox Views on MarriageApproval notification
Once the Council resolves that an applicant is eligible for an Ecclesiastical Marriage Permit (EMP), the council will send the applicant a Notification of Approval. This notification does not expire nor does it serve as the official permit.
Submit to officiating priest
When the applicant intends to marry, the applicant shall surrender the Notification to the Coptic Orthodox priest who will officiate the marriage at least one month prior to the Crowning Ceremony.
Priest requests the permit
After the officiating priest affirms that the applicant has remained free of marriage impediments, the priest shall request the official EMP from the Council.
Permit issued to priest
The Council will send the Ecclesiastical Marriage Permit directly to the officiating priest. The EMP will only be issued once.
Ceremony proceeds
No person can remarry in the Coptic Orthodox Church unless the officiating priest of the Crowning Ceremony is in physical possession of the Ecclesiastical Marriage Permit.
A judgment made by the Clerical Council determining that a marriage was invalidly contracted and void at its inception. Reasons include but are not limited to lack of consent, coercion, physical or psychological impotence, deliberate deceit, consanguinity, and undisclosed ailments.
A certificate issued and signed by the Father Confessor of a parishioner who intends to marry, proving that there are no reasons that would prevent that parishioner from marriage in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The proper name for the wedding ceremony in the Coptic Orthodox Church. During the Crowning, crowns are placed on the heads of the groom and bride symbolizing kingship and queenship over their new home. As a holy sacrament, the Crowning must be officiated by an ordained priest.
The local council that adjudicates marital conflict cases within an established diocese. It is headed by the bishop of the diocese.
The Clerical Council for Family Affairs - Americas District, which has jurisdiction of first instance over family affairs in the Archdiocese of America and Canada, as well as appellate jurisdiction over decisions of the various diocesan Clerical Councils.
For answers to commonly asked questions about the remarriage process, applications, and Church procedures, please visit the Americas District Council's FAQ page.
Frequently Asked QuestionsPO Box 241332
Charlotte, NC 28224