2011-01-22 16:46:50

Pope calls for maximum seriousness in marriage preparation


(January 22, 2011) Church marriage is a right only if one believes in the "truth" of marriage – in other words, marriage is an act for "the integral good, both human and Christian, of the spouses and their future children, orientated always towards the sanctity of their lives.” Hence the importance of preparation for Christian marriage, with a view also to avoid annulments, the Pope told members of the tribunal of the Roman Rota when he met them on Saturday in the Vatican on the occasion of the start of the judicial year. The Roman Rota mainly deals with marriage annulment, a process by which the Church effectively declares that a marriage never took place because of the lack of certain requirements. The Catholic Church does not recognize divorce for Catholics, only annulments, and does so only under specific circumstances. The Pope noted that the canonical dimension of marriage preparation is not given significant importance, saying examination of spouses, marriage banns and other pre-marital investigations amidst marriage preparation courses are sometimes regarded as mere formalities. The Holy Father stressed that there is only one marriage which is the true legal bond between a man and a woman, a bond on which rests the 'true dynamics of conjugal life and love.” The "right" to get married in the Church, therefore presupposes that one can and intends to celebrate it truly in its true essence as taught by the Catholic Church, the Pope said. Hence marriage preparation is an issue that calls for maximum pastoral care in forming couples and in verifying their convictions regarding their irrenounceable commitments in order to render their marriage valid. In this regard, a serious discernment can help avoid emotional impulses or superficial motives that lead young people to assume responsibilities that they are incapable of honouring later on, the Pope added.







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