Bishop of Denpasar against Catholics getting married on Bali beaches
Holding weddings by the sea, amid the grandeur of nature and cultural artefacts, has been gaining ground for some time now. Bishop Silvester San cites an exhortation issued by the country’s bishops in 2015, saying that the ritual of marriage must be celebrated in a place of worship. The wedding industry has flourished around organising celebrations.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – A Catholic marriage is valid only if it is celebrated in a consecrated place of worship, this according to Bishop Silvester Tung Kiem San of Denpasar, Bali (Indonesia).
To reiterate this point, the prelate issued a pastoral letter, reacting to a trend that began decades ago of staging weddings on a beach, not only for foreign visitors, but also Indonesian Catholics.
This kind of practice stems from Bali’s great natural beauty and cultural riches, not to mention the hospitality of its people, but which clashes with the Church’s rule in the administration of the sacrament.
The Diocese of Denpasar covers an extensive territory that includes three prominent tourist destinations: Bali, Lombok, and Sumbawa.
The prelate's letter, which upholds the validity of the wedding ritual only if celebrated in church, takes up an exhortation issued by the bishops in April 2015 and confirms an already known fact.
Still, it has sparked some hostility, especially among those who work in the tourism industry who have found a substantial source of income in weddings celebrated on the white sands of the island, in a wide range of activities related to the hospitality industry, including travel agencies, airliners, restaurants, and lodging.
In his letter, Bishop San stressed the sacredness of the ritual, noting that "more than a year" had gone by since the directive was adopted.
The prelate released his letter on the sidelines of the national conference of the Catholic Guidance General Directorate, a body that is part of the Ministry for Religious Affairs (Bimas Katolik Kemenag RI).
For the directorate’s chief, Suparman, education plays a "fundamental" role in starting a "good family life" in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic faith.
Other fundamental issues were discussed at the meeting, including marriage annulment and "divorce", topics on which the Catholic Church has no intention to negotiate.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Eleine Magdalena of the Widya Sasana School of Theological Philosophy in Malang, East Java province, said that the indissolubility of marriage is a sensitive and controversial issue today in many unions, even in Catholic families.
As in the case of eight women, subject of her studies, the "sanctity" of Catholic marriage and its indissolubility must be maintained while dealing with the problems related to the suffering and crises that develop within couples.
“Asceticism within marriage is seen as a means to achieve deeper self-giving to one’s spouse and God. Detachment, a core element of asceticism, purifies one’s being, fostering spiritual growth,” she said.
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07/02/2019 17:28
24/10/2019 17:56
