The Bishop of Ekwulobia Catholic Diocese, His Eminence Peter Ebele Cardinal Okpalaeke, has identified parental failure, community failure, and the failure of the Church as reasons for the increasing number of marriage breakdowns in the world today.
He stated that training children in the ways of God from infancy through to the preparation for marriage is the only effective solution to address what he described as the “marriage menace.”
Cardinal Okpalaeke made these remarks while addressing journalists during the 45th wedding anniversary ceremony of Chief Paulinus Nwafor and his wife, Lolo Nwafor.
According to him, marriage should be a source of joy. Based on my understanding, many marriages are failing today because couples have lost the sense of family.
“The crises you are seeing in marriages today is a reflection of failure; failure of the parents, failure of the community, failure of the Church and other Institutions that are supposed to be a nurturing place or ground for those that would eventually get married. Institutions have failed. Individuals have lost sense of family. Many of the crash couples today were not well prepared before entering into marriage life. Family as domestic Church, somehow has failed.
“Good family provide good husband/wife, provide good Reverend Fathers and Sisters.
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Okpalaeke while admonishing Christians to be followers of Christ, showing love of Christ and living a Christ-like life, also harped on the importance of having good intentions which he noted matter a lot to God, reminding the people to always put God first in their daily activities.
The celebrants, Chief Paulinus Nwafor (aged 85 and his lovely wife, Lolo Nwafor (aged 65), in their unanimous speeches, appreciated God for the gift of being alive to witness the day and expressed satisfaction with what God has bestowed on him and his wife, forty-five years
Also in his appreciation, one of the sons of the family and a serving Priest at the Ekwulobia Catholic Diocese, Rev. Emmanuel Nwafor, said the celebration had become an annual routine in their family to celebrate God’s abundant grace and mercies.
He urged Christian faithful to imbibe the spirit of celebrating their parents while they are still alive.
The event that took place at Chief Nwafor’s compound Ezioko village-Oko, in Orumba North local government area of the State, on Friday, was also grace by the Bishop of Awka Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, Labour Party Chieftan, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, family, friends and other well-wishers.
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