Ranchi diocesan pre-marital classes a resounding success
The five-day exercise organized by the Faith Formation team.
Ranchi:
The Roman Catholic church's annual marriage preparation course cum spiritual exercise for engaged Christian couples has been a hit, with "zero" divorce cases reported since it began in 2005.
The five-day exercise organized by the Faith Formation team, a committee of the Archdiocese of Ranchi, was held at the social development centre on Purulia road on March 16. Around 90 Christian couples will be given "training" before heading to the altar.
"The Catholic Church has made it mandatory for engaged couples to attend marriage preparation courses. The course intends to let couples in on the secret to leading a happy married life according to Christian traditions," said Fr Binay Guria, director of the Faith Formation team.
The programme was initiated in 2005 and was held over three days. In the past decade, the Church has expanded the programme by organizing three training sessions annually, before the wedding seasons in December and January, March and April and September and October.
The dissolution of a Christian marriage by divorce by mutual consent or by decree of court is not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Couples have to take the matter to family courts.
"The programme is attended by around 150-160 couples before the peak marriage season in November and December. I have yet to come across a failed marriage," said Fr Guria.
"Through these sessions, we try to clear the basic misconceptions engaged couples have about marriage. Since divorce is common in love marriages, which comprises almost 50% of all marriages that take place in Jharkhand, we try to make them understand the difference between infatuation and real love," said Fr Guria.
The certificate given to couples at the end of the training programme will allow them to get married in church. Deepak Tirkey and Rina Hansda, who are set to tie the knot on April 3, have come all the way from Gumlato attend the programme. "We have been in a relationship for three years. This programme will help us understand the concept of marriage better," said Deepak.
Source: Times of India
