Pastoral care of marriage in crisis

Abstract

A typical situation of our times is the fact that pastors treating marriage crisis mainly concentrate on making contact with a married couple which has broken its vows, and one of the partners is tied up with someone else in a non-sacramental union. This is a serious mistake, as Jesus supported first of all those harmed, and then reprimanded those who erred. The first duty of a priest is to form support groups and to help individually abandoned married people who remain faithful to their vows. To persevere in fidelity towards God, oneself and the unfaithful marriage partner is a difficult matter, but at the same time, one which is blessed, for it offers a chance to save the marriage and family, should the one who has left reconsider their action, convert, ask for pardon and recompense their wrong doing. As regards pastoral care of those living in a non sacramental or adulterous union, the duty of a priest is to behave kindly, patiently albeit firmly, in order to induce them to repent and to return to their abandoned marriage partner.