UCA News
Contribute

Marriage ruling gets mixed response

Church 'expressly forbids the type of marriage validated by the High Court'
Marriage ruling gets mixed response
Published: August 09, 2011 07:10 AM GMT
Updated: August 09, 2011 07:13 AM GMT

A ruling by the Delhi High Court last month validating the marriage of Hindu first cousins after their conversion to Christianity has evoked mixed reactions among people of various faiths in the country. The ruling stems from a case filed by a retired jurist against his son, currently a magistrate, who married his uncle’s daughter after converting to Christianity. “The Catholic Church expressly forbids the type of marriage validated by the Delhi High Court, in which Hindu first cousins converted to Christianity a few days before their marriage in a small and relatively unknown church, said Chhotebhai, spokesperson of the All India Catholic Union, in a press statement this week. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 makes marriage between cousins illegal. Chhotebhai said the couple had erred by misusing the act of conversion for the sake of their marriage. Father Soosai Arokiasamy of Vidyajyoti, a moral theologian, said the Church does not baptize a person – one of the acts required for conversion – simply as a convenience for getting married. “There is a whole process involved in [conversion]. A person’s faith is tested, and when the Church is satisfied, only then can he or she become a Christian.” He added that the marriage of cousins is never allowed by the Catholic Church “except when there is a dispensation for special reasons.” However, Samuel Jaikumar of the National Council of Churches in India said that if someone wants to become a Christian, “the Church cannot exclude anyone for any reason.” He added that in some parts of India it is permissible for cousins to marry, as well as uncles to marry their nieces. Swami Agnivesh, a Hindu activist, said that there were scientific rather than moral objections to marriage between cousins, but that conversion to one religion or another was irrelevant. “I don’t think that it would be right to relate this matter to the conversion issue. If two people want to stay together, no matter what religion they belong, they should get married.”

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia