Card Rosales emphasizes sacredness of Matrimonial Rite

Well, here's something nice from the cardinal-archbishop of Manila after the uproar he caused with his issuance of restrictive provisions pertaining to the celebration of the EF Mass in the Archdiocese of Manila. My emphasis and comments. (The Z-Style!)

MANILA, June 2, 2009─ While underscoring the sacredness of the sacrament of matrimony, a high-ranking prelate also expressed alarm on certain wedding ceremonies becoming a “special event production,” thus robbing the rite of its solemnity. (Some former PR or Advertising executives call themselves "eventologists" for doing this job. They don't want to be called event organizers! Euphemisms! Duh.)

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales said he has been alarmed with the growing number of entrepreneurs now known as “event organizers” and “wedding planners” involved in the smallest details of weddings who sometimes turn the solemn rite into a “show” or “presentation.”

The Cardinal made the observation in an interview over Veritas Radio Monday morning.

He noted that couples now focus their attention to the minutest details of the preparations, invitations, the program and the songs to be sung during the reception instead of the meaning of the Sacrament of Matrimony. (Right on Your Eminence! Filipinos trying to be too Western in their lifestyle. Missing the most important part of the wedding...married life itself not the wedding!)

“May kabanalan ang sakramento ng kasal at ang kabanalan ng kasal ay kung minsa’y nawawala sapagkat ang atensyon ng ikakasal ay naaagaw ng producer o planner at ‘di na nauunawaan ang ipinapayo ng pari,” the cardinal explained. (TRANSLATION: There is a sacredness in the sacrament of matrimony and that sacrednes sometimes gets lost because the attention of those being wed is being grabbed by the producer or planner and they do not understand what the priest is advising them.) Maybe the cardinal experienced nosy event planners running around the church while he was giving his homily. Yeah, they can be quite distracting.)

While worried that the sacrament of marriage is being robbed of its solemnity and spirituality, he said he is also concerned of the expenses such a big production will entail on the couple.

“Ang iba, sa oras na marinig ang gastos, sa halip na magpakasal sa simbahan ay sa huwes na nagpapakasal,” he added. (TRANSLATION: Others after learning of the expenses to be incurred, instead of having a church wedding, would opt to have a civil wedding.) And anti-Catholic commentators are quick to point the blame on the Church fees but not on the self-crowned "eventologist")

These wedding planners are considerably paid to attend to almost all the details involved in the ceremony turning a sacred rite into a presentation or show, the cardinal said.

Reminiscing on his early years as a young pastor, Rosales said one thing he misses these days is the chance to talk to young couples engaged to be married through the Pre-Cana Conference. (Uh, Your Eminence, it's still being done in MOST parishes that I know and from friends and acquaintances I talked to. Yeah, they had a Pre-Cana Conference. Maybe the cardinal does not have it in his archdiocese? Hmmm.)

During these conferences couples have the opportunity to discuss honestly with each other one’s strengths and areas of growth, the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, family life, communication, finances, sexuality and one’s role in society and in the Church.

He said he finds it enjoyable talking to engaged couples as he “gains their friendship and in fulfillment of my duties as pastor.”

The prelate said these conferences are important to the engaged couple for them to realize their responsibilities in the eyes of society and the Church.

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Well, Western commercialism in the Philippines is so rampant, its a plague spreading. I once worked in a call center. Most of my officemates would come to work, a day after payday, sporting the coolest gadgets (iPods, PSPs, cellphones) to the hottest designer clothes available in the market. And believe me, I almost died of jealousy! I had to save money for my family and my children's education. But what really surprises me is that a few days after, I saw the same people going to the cafeteria for lunch bringing canned tuna or sardines while we would buy from what is being sold in the cafeteria. Goodness! The price difference of eating at the cafeteria and bringing your own food is only about P10.00 or US25c! You think that's saving? Now in relation to expensive weddings, we have seen here in the Philippines how celebrity weddings are done (Hollywood style, glitz, glamor, blings, haute couture) the whole she-bang. And just like Hollywood, they end up...separated, annulled. No divorce law in the Philippines. Moral of the story? Invest in the marriage, not in the wedding!