Mgr Silvio Siripong Charatsri, bishop of Chanthaburi, eastern Thailand, extols the synod’s positive experience. In his country, marriages are mixed 90 per cent of the time, based on mutual respect and shared life. Sex education in public schools are overly focused on contraception and pregnancy. The catechesis must be boosted.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – A lot of media coverage gives the impression that western Churches are dominating the Synod on the Family, focusing on issues like communion for remarried divorced people or gay couples. According to Mgr Silvio Siripong Charatsri, bishop of Chanthaburi, the Synod is much more, a place where experiences from all over the world are shared.

The 56-year-old prelate heads a small Church, with some 37,000 members or 0.8 per cent of a population of 4.5 million people. Yet his Church also offers its experiences to the Synod. This includes the ministry, understanding and respect for mixed couples, pre-marriage catechesis; and sex education centred on a positive relationship between men and women rather than contraception as in public schools. The interview with Mgr Silvio Siripong Charatsri follows. (BC)

Your Excellency, what is the Synod giving you?

This is the first time I participate in a synod. It is good to share one’s own experiences with bishops from around the world. The topic is also important. The family is going through a tough time around the world. Society is openly challenging the Church's teachings on marriage. We talked about this at the General Assembly.

Then we had circuli minores (work groups) in which we share more problems, experiences and perspectives. It is a very positive experience.

What is the Thai Church offering the Synod?

Since we are a small church, our members know about marrying across religions. No obstacles are put up against mixed marriages; they are commonplace. Thailand has few Catholics and most end up marrying Buddhists. At least 90 per cent of all marriages involving Catholics are mixed.

Most of the time, it is a positive experience that allows people to know each other and live together. Couples and families get along peacefully.

There are some difficulties. There are problems if the non-Catholic husband does not understand or know the Catholic faith. He might be unfaithful, sleep with other women, and treat women as a thing. However, in most cases they get to know and respect each other.

What is in store for the future?

We have to offer our own sex education courses in our schools to everyone, Christian or non-Christian, in order to meet society’s challenges. Sex education in public schools is focused only on contraception and how to avoid getting pregnant. However, for us, it is important to give a purpose to the body, [and develop] a theology of the body, of giving, etc.

We must also boost the catechesis to explain the Christian marriage to Buddhist spouses, but also to Christians as well! In Thailand, couples visit the parish priest only three times: first, to sign the pre-marriage papers; second, to take part in the catechesis; and third, to rehearse the wedding ceremony. It is a bit too little.

I have often been forced to nullify a marriage when some couples go through a rough time because the two got married without really knowing what the grace of Christian marriage means.

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