Societies which do not strongly promote and uphold marriage inevitably experience marital breakdown and, in 
some neighbourhoods “the near disappearance of a culture of marriage altogether”, the Bishop of Elphin, Dr Christopher Jones (pictured), has said.
Writing [1] in yesterday’s Irish Independent, Bishop Jones said that marriage was “essential to the common good” adding that this view was supported by extensive research.
While he said that compassion should be the response where marriages broke down, he added that societies needed to give marriage “special recognition and support” in order to avoid a decline in marriage, and sometimes its near disappearance, as has happened in Britain and in some parts of this country, he said.
And, in the wake of the looting and arson in England last week, Bishop Jones warned that “a real but negative result of the non-existence or breakdown of married life can be social unrest”.
He pointed out that the Bishops’ had warned of the possibility of violence in society as a result of the economic crisis.
He said: “Because it is in the common good, I firmly believe that faith leaders should not be alone in promoting the value and contribution that marriage makes to a healthy and stable society.
“I strongly encourage our politicians, and government ministers, to speak on the importance of marriage and of the benefits of family life for parents, for children and for the State.”
Bishop Jones said that a stance in favour of marriage “would be perfectly in tune with the requirements of Ireland’s constitution, our basic law, which expressly recognises and supports the most important institution in the State, namely the family rooted in marriage”.
He warned: “When a culture of marriage weakens, an ever-growing number of children will never experience the inestimable value of being raised by a loving, married mother and father.
“This is not to say that children cannot thrive outside of the marital family, but if we really value childhood, then we must do what we can to try and ensure that children are raised by the fathers and mothers who bring them into the world.”
Citing figures from Accord, the Catholic marriage care service, he said that trends since 2008 indicated a year-on-year increase in the demand by couples for marriage and relationship counselling, with 43,627 hours being provided by Accord counsellors in 2010.
This was the highest figure on record, he said.
The figures also showed an increase of nine per cent in the number of clients listing financial problems as a source of conflict in their relationships, which he acknowledged was unsurprising given the difficult economic climate.
Issues in this regard ranged from the unemployment and redundancy of one or both persons, to couples who are unable to meet all their regular financial expenses and commitments, he said.