ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - In Week for Sanctification of the Family, there should be a renewed understanding of the true meaning of the Sacrament of Marriage

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the Week for the Sanctification of the Family starting from the Feast of Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on December 27, 2009, the Most Rev. Paul Hwang Cheol-soo, President of the CBCK Committee for Family Pastoral Ministry, issued a message and urged the faithful to reflect on the true meaning of the Sacrament of Matrimony and to look back on whether they have been faithful to it or not. According to information sent to Agenzia Fides, in his message the Bishop pointed out the situation of lower marriage rate due to the economical difficulties and an open outlook on marriage, as well as the cultural conflict caused by an increase of multicultural family.
"This situation threatens the diverse meaning of the marriage life and makes us meditate on the original meaning of the Sacrament of Matrimony", the Bishop of Pusan writes. “For the low birthrate, which is a very grave problem in Korea, it is necessary to promote childbirth and prepare a social system facilitating a stable child care.” Then he concluded, "When Christian spouses understand the proper meaning of the marriage and do their duties on the basis of it, anti-life culture which threatens the marriage and family can be overcome."
In their Christmas Messages, all the Korean Diocesan Bishops urged the faithful to overcome the reality surrounded by the culture of death by the power of Jesus Christ, and change ourselves and our neighbors for the building of the culture of life, contrasting the bad effect of our society which is marked by materialism and social conflicts. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 29/12/2009)