Which of the following is not a practice in Eastern Orthodox rites?

• A. Holy Communion
• B. Baptism
• C. Veneration of icons
• D. Marriage for the clergy

Answer: (D)

In Eastern Orthodox worship, the main activities you participate in as rites are the sacraments and the liturgical actions that mark entry, participation, and growth in the faith. Holy Communion is the Eucharist, a central liturgical act. Baptism is another foundational rite that initiates a person into the church. Veneration of icons is a distinctive devotional practice woven into the liturgical life, reflecting theology about the incarnation and the windows it provides to the divine.

Marriage for the clergy, however, is not a liturgical rite performed within worship. The Orthodox Church does allow married men to be ordained as priests, but this is a matter of clerical life and discipline rather than a ritual act conducted during the services. Bishops, in contrast, are typically chosen from the celibate clergy. Because it is not a liturgical act, marriage for the clergy belongs outside the rites of Orthodox worship.