Pope Benedict to Filipino bishops: Strengthen matrimony

(via CBCPnews.com) Pope Benedict XVI called on the Filipino bishops to strengthen the sacrament of matrimony especially among the young couples today.

As the Filipino culture is confronted with “secularism,” he said care must be given to showing young people the importance of the sacraments “as instrument of God’s grace and assistance.”

“This is particularly true of the sacrament of matrimony, which sanctifies married life from its beginning, so that God’s presence may sustain young couples in their struggles,” Benedict XVI said.

The pontiff made the statement during the “ad limina” visit of Bicol and Visayas bishops in Rome on February 18. It also came amid the declining Catholic marriages in the country.

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines earlier said that the number of church marriages dropped from 177,940 in 2008-2009 to just 166, 000 in 2010.

Fr. Melvin Castro, executive secretary of the CBCP’s Commission on Family and Life, said this was because Filipinos were marrying at a later age.

He said couples were also opting for civil marriages first before going for a “grand” church wedding.

Another church official of the CBCP’s National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal also admitted before that the high cost of church weddings is deterring couples from getting married.

According to retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, churches must encourage couples to have simple wedding rites instead or offer the sacrament for free.  For his part, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the CBCP’s National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal also admitted the high costs involved in holding church weddings is deterring couples from getting married.

Cruz said churches must encourage couples to have simple wedding rites instead or offer the sacrament for free.