Couples shun sacrament over ‘extravagant’ church weddings – survey

MANILA, Philippines — The perception that church weddings are costly is the biggest reason why some couples decide not to receive the sacrament of marriage.

According to the latest Veritas Truth Survey (VTS) conducted by Radio Veritas from Jan. 5 to Feb. 10, cost accounts for 32 percent of reasons couples shy away from church weddings.

In the survey, where VTS asked respondents their “perception of what they think the biggest obstacle in doing a church wedding is,” the other factors cited were the requirements, which accounted for 24 percent; process/interview (16 percent); attire (eight percent); conflict of faith (six percent), and those who were undecided (14 percent).

Radio Veritas president Fr. Anton Pascual, however, emphasized that couples could still opt to have church weddings without being extravagant.

“The real reason for a church wedding is to celebrate a solemn sacrament, and as a religious ceremony, it acknowledges that marriage is an act of God. Sadly, the survey reveals that a church wedding is being readily associated with opulence which may not be the case,” Pascual said.

“Weddings may be celebrated in a simple yet meaningful and blessed manner. What matters the most is that marriage is not a contract between a man and a woman, but a covenant between three. The third partner is Christ, and when He is given no room in a marriage, there can be no assurance for a happy Christian home,” he added.

The survey’s results also showed that for “cost,” more male respondents at 38 percent versus the 28 percent for female respondents see the variable as an obstacle, according to VTS head Bro. Clifford Sorita.

As for “requirements,” 24 percent of the female and 23 percent of the male respondents saw this as an impediment to church weddings.

While in “process and interview,” 17 percent of the female and 15 percent of the male respondents see this as a problem in having church weddings.

For “attire,” eight percent of the respondents in both male and female saw this as a cause of hindrance to church weddings.

For “conflict of faith,” six percent each among male and female respondents saw this as a reason not to have church weddings.

Finally, 17 percent of the female and 10 percent of the male respondents were “undecided” on why couples decide not to wed in a church.

“To reorient couples that a church wedding is more than just the perceived extravagance, but a spiritual ceremony that gives the bride and groom the seeds of faith in God (which in turn helps them develop faith in each other) must characterize their perception towards church weddings,” VTS said.

“They can face the future full of optimism because they know that God will bring their marriage its daily comforts and ultimate triumph. Side by side, they can start down through the years, held to each other by a love whose source is in the heart of God,” it added.

In the VTS survey, Radio Veritas used a stratified random sample of 1,200 respondents nationwide with a +/-  3 percent margin of error, that were gathered through a text-based and online data gathering process from an existing database of previous face-to-face on-ground interviews.

‘Responsible parenthood’

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte yesterday urged newlyweds to practice family planning and responsible parenthood for them to live a productive and healthy married life.

Speaking at a mass wedding event held in time for Valentine’s Day in Parañaque City, Duterte noted how poor family planning and an uncontrolled number of pregnancies result in poverty.

“What happens is that they end up having too many children whom they cannot feed and support in terms of education. That’s why the cycle of poverty keeps on repeating for their family,” she said in Filipino.

“In Davao City, we go around barangays. We always remind parents to plan pregnancies because their family would suffer. Your children will suffer if you cannot raise them properly, if you cannot give them what they want and support their education,” she added.

Duterte has repeatedly advocated for responsible parenthood during her visits across the country.

Her “PagbaBAGo” campaign, which provides bags containing school supplies and dental kits to children, also includes messages about responsible parenthood whenever Duterte speaks with parents of student-beneficiaries.

During the event in Parañaque, Duterte also underscored the importance of civil weddings and lauded Rep. Gus Tambunting for supporting couples who do not have the means to hold their own weddings.

In San Juan, Mayor Francis Zamora and his wife Keri stood as principal sponsors for 63 couples from different barangays during the city’s Kasalang Panglungsod, an annual program of the city government in celebration of Valentine’s Day and the Civil Registration Month of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

A reception was held for the couples after the ceremony. Each couple received a heart-shaped wedding cake and P3,000 cash gift from the city.

Zamora said this will be an annual tradition to strengthen family ties within the city.

The city council passed City Ordinance No. 39, S. 2022 or the Golden Wedding Anniversary Incentive Ordinance, wherein married couples who are still happily married and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary will receive P50,000 as an incentive from the local government.

Meanwhile, for the third time in his last term as congressman, Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez has re-filed his civil partnership bill, hoping that Congress will pass it this time around.

House Bill 6782 aims to allow same-sex and opposite sex couples to enter into civil partnerships.

The lawmaker first filed it in 2016, re-filed it in 2019 during the 18th Congress and re-filed it for the third time in the current 19th Congress.

“My job is to identify problems and provide solutions to the pain points of ordinary life that people deal with. In this case, there is definitely an absence of legal framework for those who do not fit traditional marriages. Let’s think about them too,” he said.

In July last year, when the current Congress convened, the divorce bill that never took off for several decades was re-filed anew.

Its principal author, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman, said it is now House Bill 78.

The Bicolano legislator is “finally hopeful that beleaguered and tormented wives can soon be liberated from irretrievably dysfunctional marriages or inordinately abusive marital relations.”

A similar bill was passed on third reading in March 2018 by the House, but this was not acted upon by the Senate due to time constraints.

An identical divorce bill was approved by the House committee on population and family relations in the 18th Congress, but got stuck in the House committee on appropriations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Lagman said the bill “reinstituting absolute divorce is an apt sequel to the Reproductive Health Act,” which he also authored, since the woman is the central figure in both measures.

“The Philippines is the only country, aside from the Vatican, which remains to outlaw absolute divorce even as the Catholic hierarchy grants canonical dissolution of marriage. All other Catholic countries recognize absolute divorce in varying degrees of liberality,” he added.

The bill reinstates absolute divorce because it was previously practiced by pre-Spanish Filipinos, and also during the American era and Japanese occupation, according to Lagman. – Janvic Mateo, Delon Porcalla