Believers of Bryansk asked the priest questions about the meaning of marriage in our timetranslated

Prikhody.ru 10.27.2026. Meeting with the rector of the church in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, priest Ilya Burdukov, on the topic “Why is marriage needed if there is love?” took place in the urban space “Mesto” of Bryansk on October 25. The conversation was dedicated to love, family, cohabitation, the responsibility of a man and a woman for each other and the Christian understanding of marriage.

The participants discussed what changes in relationships after marriage, why the Church does not consider cohabitation as a full-fledged alternative to the family, whether it is possible to “test relationships” by living together before marriage, and why the Christian tradition associates physical intimacy with responsibility and fidelity, the diocese website reports. Particular attention was paid to the widespread statement that “a stamp in a passport does not change anything.”

Father Elijah noted that official status alone is not capable of preserving a relationship, but marriage is evidence of a person’s readiness to make an informed choice and accept responsibility for living together. The Christian understanding of marriage does not devalue love and human feelings, but invites love to grow in fidelity, sacrifice and responsibility. Marriage involves a transition...