Preparation Of Couples For The Reception Of The Sacrament Of Holy Matrimony In The Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese

ABSTRACT

A number of Church documents and Church leaders have underscored the need for couples to undergo adequate preparation before they receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. The Pontifical Council for the Family in its document, “Marriage Preparation”, stresses the necessity for dioceses to publish a Directory/Document and establish a Commission for Marriage Preparation and the Pastoral Care of the Family. Pope Francis in his encyclical letter, Amoris Laetitia, acknowledges that the complexities of contemporary society and the challenges faced by the family, demand a greater effort on the part of the whole Christian community in preparing couples who are to receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Although the Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese was created in 1994, it has no Document on Marriage Preparation and the Pastoral Care of the Family. This research examined how couples are prepared for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in the Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese in the absence of a policy document on marriage preparation and the challenges involved.

The study employed the qualitative approach where scholarly works were reviewed and data were collected and analysed through focused-group discussions, interviews and questionnaires with Priests, marriage counsellors and couples preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

The study has revealed that marriage counsellors have individually designed their own marriage preparation programmes in the absence of a Diocesan Policy Guideline for Marriage Preparation and the Pastoral Care of the Family. There is usually only one counsellor in most parishes in the Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese who is usually overburdened. In spite of these challenges, the patience, commitment and dedication of marriage counsellors to the whole process of marriage preparation have greatly reduced some of the effects of the absence of a policy document on marriage preparation in the Keta Akatsi Catholic Diocese.

It is strongly recommended that the Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese should urgently have a Diocesan Policy Document and a Commission on Marriage Preparation and the Pastoral Care of the Family.