February 12, 2024: Bishop Dennis Nulty blessing an engaged couple at the Basilica of the Relics of St. Valentine, Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Whitefriar Street, Archdiocese of Dublin.rollingnews.ie
Accord is an Irish Catholic agency offering marriage preparation courses and marriage and relationship counseling. launched the latest edition of its marriage preparation program today, Monday 12th February, at Whitefriar Church, Dublin.
The updated version of the agreement program states that Catholics who wish to marry members of another Christian church must seek written permission from their local bishop.
Meanwhile, Catholics who wish to marry someone who is not baptized in any Christian church must “write a letter to their local bishop requesting an exemption.”
In both cases, Catholic political parties are required to “do their best in the unity of partnership to uphold the Catholic faith and to produce children baptized and raised in the Catholic faith.”
“Non-Catholic parties recognize the promise of Catholic parties.”
The Irish Times reports that the updated Accord Marriage Preparation Program was launched on Monday in Whitefriar Street Church, Dublin, after a Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Kildare and Accord President Leelyn Dennis Nulty.
New data from Accord shows that in 2023, 7,262 couples were prepared for the sacrament of marriage across the island of Ireland, taking the figure for 2022 to 7,470.
A wonderful morning at Whitefriar Street Church @BishopDNulty We celebrated the engagement couple’s ring and launched a new ring. @ACCORD_Ireland Marriage preparation course! #St.Valentine @Carmelites_ie @dublindiocese @KANDLEi pic.twitter.com/6NghXy9eIz
— Catholic Bishops (@CatholicBishops) February 12, 2024
“The new Accord program is based on the practical experiences of couples navigating life’s opportunities and challenges,” Bishop Nulty said Monday.
It added: “Accord recognizes that while our new marriage program provides an important avenue of preparation for couples, other supports are always needed.
“For example, the Bishops’ Council for Marriage and Family is also pleased to offer a resource called the Marriage Movement for Couples, which includes information for couples and married people preparing for sacramental marriage. 16 movements are listed in support of.
Tony Shanahan, director of Accord CLG, said on Monday that the latest Accord marriage preparation program is “the result of a collaboration between experienced practitioners, both marriage mediators and marriage educators, and clergy from across the island.” Stated.
Mr Shanahan said the updated program had been “extensively piloted” across the island of Ireland and had received a “very warm and enthusiastic response”.
Noting that this is the program’s first major revision in 20 years, Shanahan said, “The new Accord program takes into account the changes in society and couples’ relationship expectations over the past 20 years.” Ta.
“While it incorporates the latest psychological understanding of what makes relationships happy and fulfilling, it clearly explains the Church’s understanding of the nature of sacramental marriage and its spirituality as a program unit. It’s woven throughout.
“This program is based on the realities of couples’ lives and includes many practical resources and techniques that couples can apply to their relationships.”
Shanahan said the revised program will allow “couples to be freed from the hectic wedding day preparations and pressures of daily life, to take some quality time together and explore what the essence of their sacramental vows to each other means.” “We can focus on each other.” What they want and expect from their relationship through practice, and life’s unexpected ups and downs.
“It guides them through important conversations they haven’t had yet, including family values of origin, work-life balance, intimacy, sexuality, extended family responsibilities, and parenting.
“This provides them with the opportunity to develop skills to communicate effectively with each other, as well as to more effectively resolve inevitable conflicts.”