The Catholic Educator

Bishop António Francisco Jaca of Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Benguela has called on Christians to confront rising crime, poverty and corruption in the country by promoting justice, practicing responsible parenting and fighting violence. In his homily at the concluding Mass of his pastoral visit to St. Peter Claver Parish, celebrated on October 25, at the St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus Centre, the Catholic Bishop noted that despite the large number of Christians in Angola, poverty, crime, theft and corruption continue to increase. “The transformation of society begins in families, where parents must take responsibility for educating their children to become honest citizens who respect human life and are committed to justice and peace,” Bishop Jaca said. More: aciafrica.org/news/24957/ang…

A Kenyan Catholic Bishop has urged young people to abandon negative attitudes toward marriage, describing the Sacrament of Matrimony as a gift from God that should be approached with respect, love, and a willingness to make a lasting commitment. Bishop Vincent Ouma Odundo, the Auxiliary Bishop of Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu made the appeal on Tuesday, October 27 in his homily during Holy Mass at St. Joseph Nyabondo Medical Training College’s 11th graduation ceremony. He cautioned young people against pursuing relationships solely for pleasure without the intention of settling down, urging them to cultivate a positive attitude toward marriage. “Do not enter into a relationship merely for pleasure. Your relationships should lead you towards marriage. Remember that marriage is a dignified institution created by God,” Bishop Odundo said during the event at the St. Joseph Medical Training College grounds. He added, “Some of you take too long to settle down, yet you keep changing boyfriends and girlfriends. No, relationships should not be treated as a business of simply changing partners.” “You cannot simply have a long list of partners without committing yourselves to marriage. Choose one person and remain committed to that person. Pray for God's blessings so that you can marry each other,” Bishop Odundo said. The Kenyan Catholic Church leaders underlined the dignity of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony saying, “Marriage is a gift from God, and many good things come from marriage. I can assure you that when you settle into marriage with God's blessings, your marriage will bring forth many blessings.” “However, if you keep chasing one person after another, changing partners, abandoning one person and choosing another, you will be putting your future at risk. That that kind of lifestyle can interfere even with your career. What you have achieved today can be destroyed by such a way of life,” the Bishop warned. He urged the graduands to reflect on their attitudes toward marriage as they prepared to begin a new phase of their lives, observing that some people deliberately avoid marriage because they do not want the responsibilities associated with it, while others discourage their peers from pursuing married life. “You know, some people who are not married say, ‘I cannot be married.’ Please do not say that. You are interfering with marriage,” Bishop Odundo said, adding, “Why should you influence somebody not to marry? If you do not want to get married, just keep quiet and live your life peacefully.” More: aciafrica.org/news/24971/ken…