Poland: Renewal of wedding vows on the Feast of the Holy Family
Bishop Wiesław Śmigiel, president of the Family Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, asked priests to organize in the parishes the rite of renewal of wedding vows to emphasize the sacramental value of marriage.
During the 380th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference (Płock, October 25-26), bishops proposed that the Feast of the Holy Family be a day of prayer for the sanctity of marriages and families, and they encouraged the renewal of wedding vows in the parishes. Bishop Wiesław Śmigiel refers to this proposal in a special letter: “The pastoral care of families is one of the priorities of the Church’s salvific activity and requires constant effort not only to prepare people well to the sacrament of marriage, but also to accompany families in the development of their love and faith, as well as to help them to discover their place in the life of the parish” - said Bishop Śmigiel.
On behalf of the Family Council, Bishop Śmigiel reminded that in experiencing love, believers received “special help, which is the sacrament of matrimony”. He asked priests to “organize a rite of renewal of wedding vows in parishes and to bring the attention of the faithful to the value of sacramental marriage in the homily”.
St. John Paul II repeatedly emphasized that marriage and family constitute one of the most precious human values.
Press Office of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
