Till recently marriages between persons of 2 different religions were few and far between in the Indian context. A large majority of marriages in India were arranged ones , where the key decision makers were parents and other close relatives . The boy and girl got precisely 5 minutes of their meeting in the presence of close relatives to say yes or no to a relationship that is supposed to last a lifetime . Still the relationships that came into existence in so unsophisticated manner did really last their full term - that is till death parted them. Not that love marriages did not exist then, of course they did , but those were a microscopic minority - maybe single digit percentage . Even among such love marriages , the partners seldom were from different religions .
Inter marriages -that was the term used to describe marriages between persons of two religious faiths-were in existence for quiet a long time , but they were rather rare . The problem got resolved by one of the partners accepting the religion of the other-mostly the bride accepting the groom's religion .Although sanathana dharma (Hindu Religion) do not, envisage conversion from other faiths there are instances of persons born in families following other religions being formally accepted into sanathana dharma by Arya Samaj and similar organizations , mostly as one starts following the rituals , the Hindu society started accepting them as defacto Hindus.
The pace of inter marriages have accelerated in the past couple of decades . A number of lifestyle changes made that phenomenon quite common . Larger number of females going in for higher education and subsequently and consequently taking up employment , the environment of places of work where young persons of either sex work in close proximity, lesser social taboo for male - female inter action , have created an environment conducive to young boys and girls find their life partners based on compatibility- as they perceive it .Religious considerations hardly matters in such decisions since their order of priorities have a different order than what is conventionally accepted by elders .
Till a few years back, when a marriage between a Christian and Non Christian took place , the non Christian underwent the process of baptism and then a Sacrament of Matrimony too . In certain cases a ceremony as per the non-Christian partners faith also was conducted . By and large these were to satisfy parents of the bride and the groom . So it was just undergoing the rituals without actually having any in depth involvement . Present trend is that either of the partners do not change their religion even for the sake of the ceremony , but conduct a civil marriage and both continue with their respective faiths . In my view this is a more honest act than undergoing religious rigmaroles without actually meaning it.
The important issue here is what should be the manner in which the Church deal with the issue. As per the present Canon , such marriages are null and void and the Christian who gets into such a marriage can be excommunicated from the Church . However , the situation at the early Centuries were not so . There were families where husband and wife followed different faiths . St. Paul had approved such a situation(Ref :1Corinthians7:14 ).But as the Church grew the present Canons took shape . During the time of St Paul since the Church consisted of converts only , there could be instances when only some members of the family became Christians and others remained with their old faith . But with the growth of the Church and a few generations later , the present system has come into existence . I have not come across any canonical provision which prohibits marital ties with non Christians . But marriage being a sacrament and sacraments cannot be accepted by non Christians , a sacramental fulfillment of a matrimony cannot take place unless both the bride And the groom are Christians.
The issue that has cropped up can be summarized as follows:
1. A boy and girl gets into a relationship that has no option but marriage , one of them is a Christian and the other non Christian
2.Both wants to continue their respective faiths
3.What are the options before the Church and the faithful?
First and easiest option will be to excommunicate the errant bride or groom as the case maybe
Other is to ignore the development
There seems to have no other option available within the framework of an Orthodox Church .
Catholic and Protestant Churches have found a via media called "blessing of the marriage". Broadly speaking this is a ceremony where the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is not administered ,but recognizing the marriage postfacto and pray to God for blessing the couple.
A stage has come where Orthodox Churches also need to look at some such alternative
