The Reverend Constantine X. Demetriou, rector of Chicago's Greek Church of the Annunciation, has sent us a series of two fine articles dealing with the question of our mixed marriages. We are very pleased to publish these articles in this and in the forthcoming issue of Saloniki, and we strongly urge our readers to study them very carefully.

The following is the text of Reverend Demetriou's article:

"Dear Editor of Saloniki: In the last issue of your excellent newspaper, I read the bulletin of the Greek Ministries on Foreign and Church Affairs relative to mixed marriages of the Greeks of Chicago, as well as of America in general.

"Because this is a vital question, of great concern to our people, and because many of us are not giving the matter serious thought--an indifference which is 2to be attributed to the limitations and superficial attitude of our young men--I think that I am rendering a much-needed service to our people by giving them some enlightenment and instruction.

"According to the Greek Orthodox and Catholic Churches, marriage is a great mystery by which Divine grace is visited upon the united couple for the sake of the moral and spiritual happiness of themselves and their children. The Church of England has the same conception of marriage, except that it gives a different interpretation in regard to the classification of marriage as a mystery.

"Now then, if the union of two people is to be called a marriage in the religious sense, there must be the traditional ceremony of the church, which must be conducted and blessed by a priest. Because the Orthodox Church believes that it has preserved the original and best traditions of the Church of Christ and the Apostles, it requires the priest to be an Orthodox priest and to be in good 3standing with the Greek Church.

"Neither of the principals that are to be united should be permitted to marry unless any previous marriage has been dissolved by divorce or death. The principals should not be related by blood. The traditions and laws of the Greek Church may prohibit some types of marriages, especially where distant relatives are involved. Therefore, the sworn testimony of two people is required to the effect that those who are about to be united are not related, are not already married, and that the principals to be united in marriage are free agents.

"In Greece, this sworn statement is made in the presence of the priest, but in foreign lands it must be made before the proper consular authorities, who issue a suitable certificate, which is then given to the priest who will perform the wedding ceremony.

"Finally, the written permission of the bishop is required in all cases. In Greece, the permit is issued by the bishop's office directly, but in case there 4is no residing bishop in distant localities or foreign lands, a properly authorized priest or a special representative of the bishop may grant the necessary permit. Usually, the most highly educated priest is authorized to represent the bishop in distant and outlying districts.

"Every wedding that is performed must be recorded in the official church record; otherwise it cannot be considered as valid. It would be advisable to have the priest issue a certificate to the newly wedded couple so that they can readily prove that they have satisfied all requirements of the church and the state in case the wedding has not been recorded in the official books of the diocese.

"It should be made plain that failure to comply with all the requirements prior to the wedding ceremony will automatically make the act null and void. It should be emphasized that the children out of such a wedlock will be considered illegitimate.

"In conclusion, we wish to repeat that any wedding performed merely with the 5brief and simple statements of a justice of the peace, without a church ceremony, etc., is not considered legitimate and proper according to the established opinion and tradition of the Orthodox, the Catholic, and the Episcopalian (Church of England) Churches. Therefore, whoever has been married according to civil law, but without the sanction and blessing of the church, is prohibited from partaking of the holy mysteries of the church, is considered an adulterer, and is regarded as spiritually and morally degraded."

(To be continued next issue--Editor Saloniki)