Catholic Online
ORADEA, Romania (Catholic Online) – Differences in religion and ethnicity and the continual threat of secularization are challenging the sacramental understanding and underpinnings of marriages by Catholics in Europe, bishops from seven European nations said.
In a March 6 statement from the seventh meeting of the presidents of the Catholic bishops’ conferences of southeast Europe, the prelates noted that marriages between people of different faiths are on the increase, especially with Muslims.
The bishops stressed that the marriages between Catholics and Muslims offer “positive outcomes” in the building of greater cultural understandings between the two faith communities, but “the fact that the diversity of religion is intertwined with the diversity of ethnic origin” leads to significant pastoral problems.
The presidents of the Catholic bishops' conferences pointed to “the great difficulties and the risks these marriages face,” including: “the prospect of religious indifferentism; separations; dependence on families; impositions, often on women; the isolation from one's ethnic group; the loss of identity; and, the difficulties in bringing up children.”
Focused on the theme “Mixed Marriages and the Family in Europe,” the March 1-4 meeting, sponsored by the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), drew representatives of the bishops’ conferences from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, the international bishops' Conference of St Cyril and Methodius (Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia) and Turkey, as well as the apostolic nuncios to the European Union and Romania and members of the secretariat of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE). The council is represented by the presidents of the current 34 European bishops' Conferences.
The issue of “mixed marriages” between a Catholic and the person baptized following another Christian confession and marriages with a “difference in worship” between a Catholic and someone not baptized as a Christian are highly charged in southeastern Europe where large numbers of Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims live together and becoming such throughout the rest of Europe as a consequence of the strong migration flows that are changing the face of the various countries.
“The theme of mixed marriages is still a present-day challenge for ecumenical relationships, for the correct application of the norms of canon law and for daily pastoral work,” said Cardinal Péter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, president of Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe.
Acknowledging the important of a “common faith” present in marriages between Catholics and Orthodox and Catholics and Protestants, the bishops did point to some concerns about differences in theological vision on the sacramentality of marriage “and as a consequence the approach to the value and the stability of the matrimonial bond and to divorce is different.”
“The consequences,” the bishops said, “have repercussions both in the practice of sacramental life and in the application of these criteria in ecclesiastical tribunals.”
While allowing church marriages between Catholics and those of other faiths, the bishops stressed that “the tradition of the Catholic Church privileges marriage between two Catholics, not only in view of the conservation and transmission of faith, but especially in the interest of the conjugal community itself.”
“For just and reasonable cases,” the bishops said, “the celebration of mixed marriages and difference-in-worship marriages is allowed, where there is an explicit commitment to work against the dangers of abandoning the faith and to do what is possible so that children are baptized and educated according to the Catholic Church.
Agreeing that the church in that region should “promote preparation to marriage as much as possible, as well as the growth in faith and the awareness of dignity of the human person,” the council agreed that its 2008 meeting will be dedicated to the theme of sacramental preparation of engaged couples and the growth of spirituality for mixed couples.
The bishops urged that the theme of mixed marriages be considered by ecumenical bodies for further dialogue and study.
Two Catholic officials pointed to the changing situation of the family in Europe.
Archbishop Andre Dupuy, apostolic nuncio to the European Union, pointed to a 2006 Institute for Family Policy report on the evolution of the family in Europe which notes that the “demographic crisis” through large immigration growth from non-Christian countries, the increase in abortions to now one every 30 seconds, the decrease in the number of marriages and the increase in divorces are all major causes for concern.
Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community secretary-general, Msgr. Noel Treanor, said that there is a revival of discussion of the family in the European Union, emerging following concern generated by “the demographic crisis, immigration flows and social insecurity.”
The family, he said, is seen as an economic contributor and a factor of social cohesion.
But, he added, various EU documents recently devoted to the family, though containing positive elements, are still marked by the criteria of individualism and economic imperatives.
ORADEA, Romania (Catholic Online) – Differences in religion and ethnicity and the continual threat of secularization are challenging the sacramental understanding and underpinnings of marriages by Catholics in Europe, bishops from seven European nations said.
In a March 6 statement from the seventh meeting of the presidents of the Catholic bishops’ conferences of southeast Europe, the prelates noted that marriages between people of different faiths are on the increase, especially with Muslims.
The bishops stressed that the marriages between Catholics and Muslims offer “positive outcomes” in the building of greater cultural understandings between the two faith communities, but “the fact that the diversity of religion is intertwined with the diversity of ethnic origin” leads to significant pastoral problems.
The presidents of the Catholic bishops' conferences pointed to “the great difficulties and the risks these marriages face,” including: “the prospect of religious indifferentism; separations; dependence on families; impositions, often on women; the isolation from one's ethnic group; the loss of identity; and, the difficulties in bringing up children.”
Focused on the theme “Mixed Marriages and the Family in Europe,” the March 1-4 meeting, sponsored by the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), drew representatives of the bishops’ conferences from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, the international bishops' Conference of St Cyril and Methodius (Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia) and Turkey, as well as the apostolic nuncios to the European Union and Romania and members of the secretariat of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE). The council is represented by the presidents of the current 34 European bishops' Conferences.
The issue of “mixed marriages” between a Catholic and the person baptized following another Christian confession and marriages with a “difference in worship” between a Catholic and someone not baptized as a Christian are highly charged in southeastern Europe where large numbers of Catholics, Orthodox and Muslims live together and becoming such throughout the rest of Europe as a consequence of the strong migration flows that are changing the face of the various countries.
“The theme of mixed marriages is still a present-day challenge for ecumenical relationships, for the correct application of the norms of canon law and for daily pastoral work,” said Cardinal Péter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, president of Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe.
Acknowledging the important of a “common faith” present in marriages between Catholics and Orthodox and Catholics and Protestants, the bishops did point to some concerns about differences in theological vision on the sacramentality of marriage “and as a consequence the approach to the value and the stability of the matrimonial bond and to divorce is different.”
“The consequences,” the bishops said, “have repercussions both in the practice of sacramental life and in the application of these criteria in ecclesiastical tribunals.”
While allowing church marriages between Catholics and those of other faiths, the bishops stressed that “the tradition of the Catholic Church privileges marriage between two Catholics, not only in view of the conservation and transmission of faith, but especially in the interest of the conjugal community itself.”
“For just and reasonable cases,” the bishops said, “the celebration of mixed marriages and difference-in-worship marriages is allowed, where there is an explicit commitment to work against the dangers of abandoning the faith and to do what is possible so that children are baptized and educated according to the Catholic Church.
Agreeing that the church in that region should “promote preparation to marriage as much as possible, as well as the growth in faith and the awareness of dignity of the human person,” the council agreed that its 2008 meeting will be dedicated to the theme of sacramental preparation of engaged couples and the growth of spirituality for mixed couples.
The bishops urged that the theme of mixed marriages be considered by ecumenical bodies for further dialogue and study.
Two Catholic officials pointed to the changing situation of the family in Europe.
Archbishop Andre Dupuy, apostolic nuncio to the European Union, pointed to a 2006 Institute for Family Policy report on the evolution of the family in Europe which notes that the “demographic crisis” through large immigration growth from non-Christian countries, the increase in abortions to now one every 30 seconds, the decrease in the number of marriages and the increase in divorces are all major causes for concern.
Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community secretary-general, Msgr. Noel Treanor, said that there is a revival of discussion of the family in the European Union, emerging following concern generated by “the demographic crisis, immigration flows and social insecurity.”
The family, he said, is seen as an economic contributor and a factor of social cohesion.
But, he added, various EU documents recently devoted to the family, though containing positive elements, are still marked by the criteria of individualism and economic imperatives.