The Celebration of Marriage and Its Effects on the Catholic Church in Ghana

Abstract

Marriage is an important aspect of culture which helps to establish the basic root of the society: family. It is the foundation of most societies. The existence of several communities is largely influenced by successful marital processes and celebrations. Like culture, marriage evolves. Similar to many other countries, marriage in Ghana has been going through transitions and challenges. The celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage differently from the Customary Marriage is one of the main challenges Ghana is facing. As an outcome, people spend more time, money and other resources to celebrate marriage. In addition, the celebration of these two different marriages leads to apathy in church, lapse of faithful Catholics and few people observing the Sacrament. This work explores the possibility of celebrating Customary Marriage and the Sacrament of Marriage together in a single liturgy. This will do away with many of the problems and pastoral challenges associated with marriage.