Catholic Archbishop in South Africa Urges Parents to Ensure Catholic Education of Children

“The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults for those wishing to be baptized or received into full communion with the Catholic Church is highly recommended as a means of evangelization,” Archbishop Brislin says in his regulatory letter. 

He urges those preparing for marriage to give a notice of about six months to the Parish Priest and that they should be ready to partake in a marriage instruction course before they receive the Sacrament of Matrimony. 

He says that marriage preparation programs can be done by the pastoral minister set to assist during the wedding day. He adds that besides this, couples can participate in engaged weekend encounters or programs of instruction organized at Deanery level.

He cautioned pastoral ministers against participating in marriage ceremonies in which one party remains non-committal to the marriage bond, saying that such a marriage can be scandalous in future.

“It is absolutely forbidden for a pastoral minister to assist at a marriage, even only in his capacity as a civil marriage officer, where at least one party remains bound through a bond of marriage to his/her former spouse,” Archbishop Brislin says.

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He adds, “The participation of a pastoral minister in such a ceremony would lead to serious scandal among the faithful and to their questioning the Church's doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage. Failure to observe this norm may lead to canonical penalties.”

On mixed marriages, Archbishop Brislin says he permits marriage celebration between Catholics and other denominations on condition that the Catholic faithful proves to be able to counter the danger of defecting from the Catholic faith.

The 65-year-old Archbishop says that the Catholic faithful should equally promise to ensure his or her children are brought up according to the Catholic faith and that the other party should be informed about the conditions prior to the marriage celebration.

He further says that those who wish to participate in mixed marriage can be dispensed from the canon of marriage if the conditions stipulated for such a marriage have been satisfied.

The Archbishop highlights other conditions for dispensation from the canon of marriage, including the uneasiness of the non-Catholic party to get married to a Catholic party due to his or her parent or close relative being a pastoral minister of his/her church.

In addition, Archbishop Brislin says that the dispensation can be effected in the event there is a strong reluctance on the part of the family of the non-Catholic to conform to the Catholic form of marriage.

He adds that since the marriage ceremony between Catholics or a Catholic and baptized non Catholic is sacramental, it would be appropriate for it to be celebrated at the Parish church of one of the Catholics parties.

He explains, “Although a marriage between a Catholic and non-baptized person is not sacramental, it is nevertheless a religious event in which the Lord is called upon to witness the exchange of consent. Such a marriage should ordinarily be celebrated in the church of the Catholic party.”

“In extraordinary circumstances, permission could be given for a marriage to be celebrated in a non-Catholic church, provided a Catholic pastoral minister receives the consent of the couple on behalf of the Church,” he continues. 

In his March 10 regulatory letter, Archbishop Brislin says that once the marriage ceremony is completed, the Priest in charge should take the shortest time possible to record the names of the parties in the Parish marriage register.

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“As soon as possible after the celebration of a marriage, the Parish Priest of the place of celebration or whoever takes his place, even if neither has assisted at the marriage, is to record in the parish marriage register the names of the spouses, of the pastoral minister who assisted, and of witnesses, and the place and date of the celebration of the marriage,” he says.

He recommends the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation for the parties’ prior to the marriage ceremony.

The South African Catholic Archbishop also reflects on the Lenten Season and urges the people of God under his pastoral care to participate in the exercise by being active in the activities related to the penitential period.

“All should join in the Church's penitential exercises during Lent as fully and as frequently as possible,” the Archbishop who has been at the helm of the Archdiocese of Cape Town since December 2009 says.

Participation in Lent, Archbishop Brislin explains, “may be done by daily assistance at Mass and frequent Communion, by participating in the Stations of the Cross in which we meditate on the passion and death of our Savior, by frequent and fervent prayer and by abstaining from luxuries and amusements which could distract us from the love and service of God and neighbor.”