• Latest

Should the church require a year of marriage prep?

June 29, 2022

ANT Calls for Calm Amid existing Diplomatic Disputes in Uganda

May 29, 2025
Police Search NUP Premises Over Alleged Illegal Military Training

NUP Invites Expressions of Interest from Members Seeking Party Positions

May 29, 2025
VINAStech Advert
UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements

UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements

May 29, 2025

Makerere University Student Dies in Iganga Road Accident

May 28, 2025

Literature Giant Ngugi wa Thiongo Dies at 87

May 28, 2025
Parliament Must Lead Uganda’s Clean Energy Shift in FY2025/26 Budget

Why the government needs to champion clean energy technologies awareness

May 28, 2025
Driving climate action for a sustainable future

Oil, Displacement and Despair: The hidden mental health crisis facing marginalised women and girls

May 28, 2025

UPC Urges Reflection and Reform Ahead of Uganda Martyrs Day

May 28, 2025

Chaos Erupts at DP Headquarters Over Forgery on List of Delegates Ahead of Mbarara Conference

May 28, 2025

UEDCL Blames Power Outages on Rampant Vandalism and Illegal Connections

May 28, 2025

Mao Quietly Moves DP NEC Members to Gen. Saleh’s Gulu Residence Ahead of Key Delegates Conference

May 28, 2025
Mpuuga launches new party “The Democratic Front”

Mpuuga launches new party “The Democratic Front”

May 27, 2025
  • About Us
  • Internship
  • Contact Us
Friday, May 30, 2025
Parrots Media
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • News

    ANT Calls for Calm Amid existing Diplomatic Disputes in Uganda

    Police Search NUP Premises Over Alleged Illegal Military Training

    NUP Invites Expressions of Interest from Members Seeking Party Positions

    UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements

    UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements

    Parliament Must Lead Uganda’s Clean Energy Shift in FY2025/26 Budget

    Why the government needs to champion clean energy technologies awareness

    Chaos Erupts at DP Headquarters Over Forgery on List of Delegates Ahead of Mbarara Conference

    UEDCL Blames Power Outages on Rampant Vandalism and Illegal Connections

    Trending Tags

  • Climate Change
  • Business
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • Business
  • Others
    • Education
    • Lifestyle
    • Religion
    • Opinions
  • News

    ANT Calls for Calm Amid existing Diplomatic Disputes in Uganda

    Police Search NUP Premises Over Alleged Illegal Military Training

    NUP Invites Expressions of Interest from Members Seeking Party Positions

    UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements

    UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements

    Parliament Must Lead Uganda’s Clean Energy Shift in FY2025/26 Budget

    Why the government needs to champion clean energy technologies awareness

    Chaos Erupts at DP Headquarters Over Forgery on List of Delegates Ahead of Mbarara Conference

    UEDCL Blames Power Outages on Rampant Vandalism and Illegal Connections

    Trending Tags

  • Climate Change
  • Business
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • Business
  • Others
    • Education
    • Lifestyle
    • Religion
    • Opinions
No Result
View All Result
Parrots Media
No Result
View All Result
Home RELIGION

Should the church require a year of marriage prep?

Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu by Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu
June 29, 2022
in RELIGION
0

Barbrah Itungo Kyagulanyi aka Barbie Itungo and her husband Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine at the celebration of the Mothers Day at Rubaga cathedral Kampala. The celebration coincided with the Tuesday Class Alumni Association Anniversary. Photo Courtesy: Fresh TV Uganda

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on X

By Hannah Brockhaus,

RELIGIOUS FEATURE

READ ALSO

UPC Urges Reflection and Reform Ahead of Uganda Martyrs Day

Kasujja Warns Against Secularism as UMU Trains Chaplains to Tackle Youth Crisis

Should the church require a year of marriage prep? catholic formators weigh in.

The Vatican last week released a document with recommendations for a year-long “marriage catechumenate” to prepare Catholic couples for the sacrament of matrimony.

In the document’s preface, Pope Francis called adequate marriage preparation a matter of justice, since it precedes a life-long commitment.

But a couple’s experience of sacramental preparation before their wedding can vary widely from place to place.

On June 15, the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life published a booklet called “Catechumenal Itineraries for Married Life,” currently available in Italian and Spanish, which suggested three stages of Catholic marriage formation.

The first phase, called “proximate preparation,” should last “about one year,” according to the dicastery’s recommendations. The second phase would take place in the final months before the wedding, and the third part would follow the couple through the first 2-3 years of married life.

The idea of a marriage catechumenate, the document said, is analogous to the preparation for baptism in the early Church: “a faith formation and accompaniment in the acquisition of a Christian lifestyle, specifically aimed at couples.”

The Vatican said: “It is generally suggested that the upcoming preparation should last approximately one year depending on the couple’s previous experience of faith and ecclesial involvement.”

“Having made the decision to marry — a moment that could be sealed by the rite of betrothal — one could begin the immediate preparation for marriage, lasting a few months, to be set up as an actual initiation into the nuptial sacrament,” it explained.

“The duration of these stages should be adapted, we repeat, taking into account the religious, cultural, and social aspects of the environment in which one lives and even the personal situations of each couple,” the document said. “What is essential is to safeguard the regularity of the meetings in order to accustom couples to take care of their vocation and marriage responsibly.”

Deanna Johnston, the director of family life for the Diocese of Tyler, said she is in favor of a longer marriage preparation, but emphasized that it cannot just be the diocese handing couples a checklist of things to do for 12 months.

“It gives us a challenge, I think, as family life directors,” she told CNA during an interview in Rome, where she traveled with her husband, Michael, and the oldest of her four children, 7-year-old Alexandria, to take part in the World Meeting of Families.

“We can’t just send couples through a program and expect that to be the thing that gives them a happy, healthy, holy marriage,” she said.

At a time when many couples are afraid of divorcing, or come from families of divorce, she emphasized that the Church needs to present the idea of a “marriage catechumenate” as a way to achieve a good marriage, and not just another heavy task to fulfill.

Part of this, she said, is building relationships with engaged couples that continue even after the wedding day.

“I know for us, we’ve been married for only nine years, and so much life has happened,” Johnston said. “I remember going to Engaged Encounter and some of the things that they had us discuss, but life is very different than I think we thought it would be back in 2013.”

Johnston said she thinks the engagement period is also an opportunity to grow as a person and in virtues such as chastity, even for practicing Catholics.

“That’s one pushback that I’ve heard is like, well, if you have two really well-formed Catholics, why would you make them wait for the sacrament of marriage? But even as well-formed Catholics — Michael is a former seminarian, I am a deacon’s daughter, like we were good Catholics, right? — but we’d never been married before,” she said.

 

Members of the Tuesday Class Alumni Association at Rubaga cathedral Kampala in a group photo with the Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese Rt Rev Paul Semogerere . Fresh TV Uganda photo

“So, recognizing that these two individuals have never experienced married life together, that it’s so worthwhile for us to invest that time and relationship building to make sure that they have a strong foundation.”

Sheila Reineke, a Natural Family Planning program coordinator for the Diocese of St. Cloud, told CNA she thinks extending marriage preparation from the standard 4-6 months to an 8-12 month program “would allow for relationships to form with the other couples that the couples are meeting with. I think that they could really become a small community.

Sheila and her husband Vince have been married for 34 years and have four adult children.

ADVERTISEMENT

Finding community and friendship with other Catholic couples in a Bible study was something that helped strengthen their own marriage early on, they said.

Reineke said she knows some people already find the current standard requirements to marry in the Catholic Church burdensome, and there are always necessary exceptions, such as for military couples.

“I would start by listening” to couples’ concerns, she said. “But again, I think if we speak to them with love and explain the reasons for it, many couples really enjoy the process when they get to the end of it.”

Deanna Johnston’s husband, Michael, is the director of the theology department at a Catholic high school. He said a year of formation for a life-long commitment does not seem unreasonable.

He and his colleagues try to start even earlier, by setting teenagers up for a successful marriage relationship in the future by “forming them in moral theology and Church history and ethics just so that they have an orientation towards what marriage actually is at a very young age, or a relatively young age.”

He noted that focusing on forming good Catholic families now will have a positive influence on the children from those marriages, and who will be walking into the doors of a high school in a dozen years.

The Johnstons and Reinekes agreed that having mentor couples is a helpful approach to engaged formation.

Bishop John Doerfler told CNA that his Diocese of Marquette also follows the mentor couple model.

One difficulty new married couples often face is a sense of loneliness or isolation, “especially when problems may arise,” he said. “It’s our hope over time that by fostering mentor couples, they know that there’s someone there they can reach out to, so they don’t have to go through difficulties or struggles alone.”

With the idea of a 12-month preparation, “there needs to be some kind of flexibility,” he said, “because often people will approach us when they have already set a date for their marriage and we want to be able to work with them as best we can.”

“But I think in general, trying to look at preparation for a whole year is a good idea, with some flexibility depending on the circumstances in which people find themselves,” the bishop said.

Deanna Johnston noted that those preparing engaged couples “won’t have every single answer for them when they’re going through marriage formation in the very beginning, but if we can set it up so that the Church is there to walk with them through all of these different changes and challenges in life — maybe that’s very idealistic but I think it’s very worthwhile.”

Source: CNA story

Tags: Catholic News AgencyHannah BrockhausMarriage Preparation

Related Posts

Religion

UPC Urges Reflection and Reform Ahead of Uganda Martyrs Day

May 28, 2025
News

Kasujja Warns Against Secularism as UMU Trains Chaplains to Tackle Youth Crisis

May 26, 2025
Uganda Martyrs Essay Competition Expands Across East Africa
RELIGION

Uganda Martyrs Essay Competition Expands Across East Africa

May 23, 2025
Security Bans Vending Outside Namugongo Martyrs Shrine
Business

Security Bans Vending Outside Namugongo Martyrs Shrine

May 16, 2025
Namirembe Diocese Priest Brutally Beaten and Abducted by Unknown Assailants
Religion

Namirembe Diocese Priest Brutally Beaten and Abducted by Unknown Assailants

May 12, 2025
Ugandan MP Francis Mwijukye to meet New Pope in August
RELIGION

Ugandan MP Francis Mwijukye to meet New Pope in August

May 9, 2025
Next Post
UPC Warns Against Intimidations As Teachers Strike Intensify

UPC Warns Against Intimidations As Teachers Strike Intensify

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

POPULAR NEWS

Catholic Priest Speaks Out Against Museveni and Son’s Leadership

Catholic Priest Speaks Out Against Museveni and Son’s Leadership

February 16, 2025

Former IGP Okoth Ogola Dies

February 14, 2025

A Love Beyond Distance: A review of Leonard Kamugisha Akida’s poetic tribute on valentine’s day

February 14, 2025

Besigye Sends Easter Message from Luzira Prison as Archbishop Kazimba Urges for Release of Political Prisoners

April 18, 2025
Brutality at KIU: Students Assaulted by Officials at Examination Hall

KIU Loses Bid to Block Payment of Shillings 46.8 Billion to Housing Finance Bank

March 12, 2025

EDITOR'S PICK

Women are great agents to champion environmental protection, says Sovereign.

Women are great agents to champion environmental protection, says Sovereign.

March 7, 2021

Ikumbania Of Bugweri Pays Courtesy Call to ONC Head

November 8, 2024

UNRA to spend 120b on Entebbe Express maintenance

September 10, 2021

We are aware of the financial solvency of the contractor, minister Jim Muhwezi defends J.S.Company Global Security contract deal.

July 28, 2021
VINAStech advert VINAStech advert VINAStech advert
ADVERTISEMENT

About

Parrots Media

A Public Relations and Media Services Company registered and licensed to operate in Uganda and the Great Lakes Region.

Follow us

Categories

  • Business
  • BUSINESS REPORTS
  • CLIMATE ACTION REPORTS
  • Climate Change
  • COMMUNITY REPORTS
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • FEATURES
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • News
  • OBITUARY
  • Obituary
  • Opinions
  • RELIGION
  • Religion
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • TOURISM

Recent Updates

  • ANT Calls for Calm Amid existing Diplomatic Disputes in Uganda
  • NUP Invites Expressions of Interest from Members Seeking Party Positions
  • UPDF, RDF Strengthen Relations Through Historic Sports Engagements
  • Makerere University Student Dies in Iganga Road Accident
May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    
  • About Us
  • Internship
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Parrots Media | Website Designed and Maintained by VINAStech

No Result
View All Result
  • Parrots Media
  • News
  • Business
  • Science and Technology
  • Sports and Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Others
    • Climate Change
    • Education
    • Religion
    • Opinions

© 2025 Parrots Media | Website Designed and Maintained by VINAStech

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

You cannot copy content of this page