Dar es Salaam, 22 March, 2025 / 8:19 pm (ACI Africa).
Bishop Almachius Vincent Rweyongeza of Tanzania’s Catholic Diocese of Kayanga has cautioned young people against rushed courtships that originate from virtual encounters, and warned that marriages from such situations do not stand the test of time.
In his homily during the Episcopate Silver Jubilee celebration of Bishop Method Paul Kilaini, the Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Bukoba in Tanzania on March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Bishop Rweyongeza emphasized the need for prayer and time during courtships.
“Many young people today do not engage in courtship appropriately; instead, they meet online through Facebook and rush into intimate relationships without knowing each other well,” he said in his homily at the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Cathedral of Bukoba Diocese.
Bishop Rweyongeza underscored the importance of investing in prayer and time, saying, “Courtship is meant to be a sacred time to inform each other, understand one another, and pray about how you will build your future family and raise children.”
“Nowadays, a young man meets a girl on Monday, and within a week, they are already living together—without informing their parents or even informing the Parish Priest of their intention to have their marriage solemnized in the church,” he lamented, and added, “such people do not care about having a church wedding, and two weeks later, they divorce.”
