….and now the Florentines have also got in on the act and decided they no longer wish to have to accept the Irish Wedding and all that it may entail….One may wonder what is going on but seemingly, Monsignor Ivan Simic who happens to be the Chancellor of Dubrovnik (Croatia) sent a missive to the Irish Hierarchy stating that the Croatian clergy were no longer prepared to perform the weddings of Irish couples.
If a couple does wish to get married in Croatia, the good Monsignor has advised that the couple will now have to bring their own priest (that may actually provide some clerics with a holiday they otherwise may fail to get!!) and all paperwork must be in order.
The main issues in relation to this matter were outlined by Monsignor Simic in a letter to the Purple Parliament:
Couples have not attended Confession;
No contact with own parishes back in Ireland;
Lack of awareness and respect for Communion receiving;
Paperwork not prepared or only partially completed;
No spiritual preparation by either couple or guests;
Untold pressure on Croatian clergy by couple for short notice service;
Inappropriate dress sense by many brides and guests.
And to top it all, the Italian Diocese of Florence has now also invoked this rule against the Irish couple wishing to get married there.
In the last fortnight or so, an email was sent by the Florentine Chancery to the Purple Parliament advising that unless the intending couple have connections of a familial nature with their diocese, no wedding will be permitted.
Both Dioceses have asked the Irish Bishops Conference to discourage ‘actively’ any couple wishing to get married abroad from so doing, and the first bishop here to take up the yoke on this has been Bishop Michael Smith of the Diocese of Meath who has issued a stern directive to the clergy under his episcopal rule.
He has ordered that the basic requirement of having begun a pre-marriage course (read money racket there) and have also met with their parish priest on a few occasions before considering marriage in another country. This is something that needs to be done so as to prevent other clerics in a different country having to then try and sort out such difficulties once the horse has bolted the shed.
‘We’ve had a lot of problems of couples going abroad and they’ve taken their information sometimes from travel agents and wedding planners, who aren’t always tuned into niceties of what’s involved in a church wedding.’ said Bishop Smith.
Word of Advice to Bishop & Co.: Stop blaming those who have tried getting this information from relevant sources such as priests but have not been properly advised because there are as of yet no guidelines.
These guidelines are meant to be there as part of the communion of the Church and meant to be the Church but blaming others for your own mistakes and short-sightedness will not resolve the matter.
A telepoll conducted today by ringing all diocesan offices has displayed the fact that there is no consistency in how the whole area of getting married abroad is dealt and managed.
That says more about those who are allegedly in charge, and especially more so when the same said people blame everyone else except themselves. It may have worked years ago but it certainly does not work now!!
We clergy need those directions so to our mitred ones I say give us the directions, and we shall follow as meekly as we have thus far….well almost…..
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No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce