Penampang parish sees rise in convalidation of marriages

PENAMPANG – Thirty married couples registered for the first of three formation sessions slated for this year to convalidate marriages at St Michael parish, including the nine zones under the parish on 6 May 2018.

The record showed that this year’s number of marriages to be convalidated has more than doubled last year’s list, attributing the phenomenon to the openness and readiness of couples, after coming to a proper understanding, to validate their marriages in the eyes of the Church.

Most of the couples are married for over five years. However, the longest married is 30 years and the most recent are about a year.

The majority of them are married under the native and civil law, while some are married through other Christian denominational services.

The duration of the convalidation process is three months, and constitutes seven steps, which include a marriage enrichment formation, interviews with the priest, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, before the final sacramental blessing when it is deemed complete.

Convalidation of marriages in the Penampang parish is organized by St Michael Parish Family Apostolate (PFA) in collaboration with Couples for Christ (CFC), and is acceptable so long as one of the spouses of each couple is a baptised Catholic.

“It is our earnest hope that Catholics who plan to get married should attend the pre-marriage course first, then ensure to register their marriage through the Catholic Church. The civil marriage (JPN) will be arranged by the Church few weeks prior to the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony,” said Pauline Pinso, PFA facilitator as well as a senior member of CFC Penampang, on working within the confines of a truly sacramental marriage.

The next formation dates are scheduled on 9-10 June and 13-14 October this year. Couples who have yet to convalidate their marriages are encouraged to remove the impediment that would invalidate their marriages in the eyes of the Church.   Contact the parish office at Tel: 088-711009 for early registration for the next formation. – Soccom Penampang