Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HOP Vol XX Special Number - 85 - (07789)

1968 No 2

riages. The Church roust not forget that Jesus gave his protection to the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1-11), proclaiming to her the grace of forgiveness; neither must she forget that it was to a woman living in rather confused sexual relations that He revealed his prophetic authority« He did not deny the living water, the water of life, that is, the Gospel of forgiveness to the Samaritan woman (join 4:17,18;, The teaching ministry of the Church stipulates the divorceless marriage, yet it does not condemn the marriage corrupted by divorce« For marriage is not created by the Church but by

God, Who also lays down, in a sovereign way, the conditions of marriage« The

Church, on the other hand, though engaged in such a ministry, cannot affirm divorce» Divorce, in every case, is rebellion against God, that is, sin« And the only remedy of sin is forgiveness* The roan who lives by forgiveness in faith also carries thp burden cf his marriage in faith and forgiveness«

The pastoral work of the Church is attention to the specific problem of individual cases and the administration of help to marriages which are in need of helpc

\

Marriage lives in its functions- as we have said» The crisis cf ác

marriage sets in when there is a disorder in its functions» Two such cases

may occur« First, if the functions are insufficient to maintain the marriagei, and secondly, if there arises a problem as to the relation cf the functions to one another« Specifically: marriage is endangered if the sexual function or the economic function, the help which the partners owe to one another, is out of order» Or, we face trouble if one of the, functions tries to .dominate or suppress the others» For instance, a merely spiritual, mental or cultural harmony is no lasting foundation* On the other hand, if marriage serves the sole purpose t»f sexual gratification, or merely economic ends, cris.es are liable to develop»

It is, therefore important that all the functions of the marriage tie fulfill, their specific roles without trying to dominate or suppress each other» The imbalance of functions may empty marriage of its meaning. One cannot build up marriage on the quicksand of romantic emotions. Emotional attraction may give a good start but cannot furnish a lasting foundation» Neither should marriage be centred around the marriage bed. Sexual harmony, understanding is good, but this alone breeds boredom. Marriage also forfeits its ends if it is merely a team of two people for the acquisition of material values» The marriage should have a solid economic basis but this should be rather the means than an end in itself» If one of the functions of the marriage predominates, the pastoral ministry-has the task to issue its warning and point to the valve of the other functions»

The paradigmatic ministry of the Church has the task to furnish the good examples of Christian marriages. This task is especially important in cases when people suffering because of their marriage difficulties are not accessible to the preaching and pastoral ministry cf the Church» By the ex-