ASIA/HONG KONG - Alarming rise in requests for marriage annulments: diocesan chancellor stresses need for adequate pastoral care for couples in crisis

Monday, 7 June 2004

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Hong Kong (Fides Service) - Over the past 22 years, requests for the annulment of marriages presented to Hong Kong Diocesan Court have increased six time, rising from 10 cases a year 22 years ago to 66 cases last year. To deal with this situation due to changes in social customs (same sex unions, extra marital relations, pre-matrimony sexual relations, stress from work unemployment, violence in the home), Hong Kong diocese organised a Seminar on “Pastoral Care for Families and Divorced Catholics”. According to the Kong Ko Bao, Hong Kong diocesan bulletin, the diocesan chancellor Rev. Lawrence Lee urged priests, men and women religious and lay pastoral workers to take suitable pastoral action to assist couples in crisis and rather than reject divorced Catholics to welcome them and help them continue to take an active part in Church life. (Agenzia Fides 7/06/2004 Lines: 17 Words: 155)