The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Niger State Chapter, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Yohanna, has officiated a mass wedding for 21 couples in Niger State.
The ceremony was held at the St. Mark Catholic Church in Nsanji Nkoso, Magama Local Government Area.
Speaking during the event, the CAN Chairman called on the newly weds to and Catholics in general to embrace proper marital rites.
Speaking further on the importance of the ceremony, the cleric stressed the need for couples to fulfill both traditional and religious marriage requirements.
He maintained that cohabitation without formal marriage in the church was not in line with Catholic teachings hence the need for couples to legally seal their marriage in the church.
“Most of the people had relied more on traditional marriage which encourages them to cohabit. And we needed to be sure too that none of them was under compulsion.
“We have to encourage them to do what is right especially as Catholics. With this blessing of marriage, these twenty one couples are now legally and officially married,” he said.
He further stressed that marriage is a lifelong commitment that should be based on love and companionship, urging the newly wedded couples to uphold Christian values in their homes.
Similarly, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Francis Joshua, explained that all 21 couples were deemed eligible for the church wedding having completed their traditional marriage rites, including paying the bride price, and underwent a three-month marriage counseling program.
The cleric further said that the longest-married couple had been together for 24 years, while the youngest had been married for just a year.
On their part, some of the couples, who spoke during the event described the mass wedding as a long-awaited blessing.
One of them, Mr. and Mrs. Cyprian Uche, who had been cohabiting for 22 years and have five children, lauded the church for giving them the opportunity to be officially wedded in the church.
“I am happy that my marriage has been blessed now. Ever since I have been a member of the women fellowship, I was not eligible to hold any position because she was not married in the church. But now, I feel so excited because we are officially married and I thank the Bishop for helping us realize the need to do the right thing.”
