A priest cannot be married with a widow, or a divorcee, and furthermore, a priest may be married only once. No universal disciplinary decision on this question has ever been taken by the Orthodox Church, as the Church never possessed the tendency to regulate all areas of human life according to one single pattern. The practical attitude of Orthodox Christians must, therefore, be determined by the general doctrine of the Church concerning marriage. It should be noted that the Church definitely teaches that marriage implies childbirth. However, nowhere in Scripture is it said that childbirth is the only aim of marriage.
Marriage is essentially an inseparable union, both spiritual and carnal, of two beings.
Such reasons do often arise, since human nature, in its present state of corruption due to original sin, does not always follow the law of God. Fallen nature can and must be corrected, not only by prayer and abstention, but also by human means. Orthodox Christian couples should, therefore, consult their own conscience, and, even better, their Father Confessor at those times when they are considering measures of birth control. Then they may decide whether these measures are justified, or whether they would not simply indicate a lack of confidence in God and faith in His help. In the latter case, such measures would be sinful.