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.