Italy: When Baptists marry Catholics
Italy: When Baptists marry Catholics
R o m e – In Italy it has become easier for confessionally-mixed marriages to experience the blessing of the church. That is to be secured by a new agreement between the Roman Catholic Church and the Christian Evangelical Baptist Union of Italy, officially signed in Rome on 30 June. The agreement is entitled "A Common Document for a Pastoral Approach to Marriages between Catholics and Baptists in Italy" and aims to help confessionally-mixed couples prepare for marriage and their common life together. The document also reminds couples of their rights and obligations to each other and to their respective confessions. The paper includes cues for priests and pastors on how best to accompany the couple “with appreciation and respect”.
An Ecumenical Journey in a “Particularly Sensitive Field”
According to Anna Maffei (Rome), the President of Italian Baptists, this document was long overdue. Baptists in the country are only a minority of 6.400 members in 116 congregations. Eighty-seven percent of the more than 60 million Italians are Catholic. Rarely do weddings occur in which both partners are Baptists – confessionally-mixed marriages are the rule. Maffei expressed satisfaction regarding the agreement: "We are offering our communities and pastors a practical guide so that the confessional differences which remain between the spouses are not experienced as an obstacle, but rather as enrichment." Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference and co-signer of the agreement, spoke of a common step as part of the ecumenical journey of both churches in a “particularly sensitive field". The agreement is "likely to pave the way for further developments".
Marriage as an Example of God’s Love for Humankind
The document also cites Biblical aspects of marriage held in common by both Baptists and Catholics. These include the creation of men and women in their diversity and reciprocity, marriage as a parable for the alliance between God and God's people, as well as the indissolubility of marriage. The agreement brings to a tentative close theological discussions on the issue of mixed marriages held between the two churches since October 2007.
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An Ecumenical Journey in a “Particularly Sensitive Field”
According to Anna Maffei (Rome), the President of Italian Baptists, this document was long overdue. Baptists in the country are only a minority of 6.400 members in 116 congregations. Eighty-seven percent of the more than 60 million Italians are Catholic. Rarely do weddings occur in which both partners are Baptists – confessionally-mixed marriages are the rule. Maffei expressed satisfaction regarding the agreement: "We are offering our communities and pastors a practical guide so that the confessional differences which remain between the spouses are not experienced as an obstacle, but rather as enrichment." Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference and co-signer of the agreement, spoke of a common step as part of the ecumenical journey of both churches in a “particularly sensitive field". The agreement is "likely to pave the way for further developments".
Marriage as an Example of God’s Love for Humankind
The document also cites Biblical aspects of marriage held in common by both Baptists and Catholics. These include the creation of men and women in their diversity and reciprocity, marriage as a parable for the alliance between God and God's people, as well as the indissolubility of marriage. The agreement brings to a tentative close theological discussions on the issue of mixed marriages held between the two churches since October 2007.