PROMOTE THE DIGNITY OF CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
VATICAN CITY, OCT 19, 2007 (VIS) …
Benedict XVI warned that “the noticeable reduction in the number of canonical marriages is a real challenge facing the family. … Civil legislation, the weakening of the family structure, and the weight of certain traditional practices, especially the exorbitant cost of dowries, are a real brake on young people’s commitment to marriage.”
“What is needed,” the Holy Father concluded, “is a profound pastoral reflection in order to promote the dignity of Christian marriage, the reflection and realization of Christ’s love for His Church. It is important to help couples to achieve the human and spiritual maturity necessary to undertake … their mission as Christian spouses and parents, reminding them that their love is unique, indissoluble, and that marriage contributes to the full realization of their human and Christian vocation.”
AL/…/REPUBLIC OF CONGO VIS 071019 (454)