Bishop of Roseau His Lordship Kendrick Forbes has told married couples that their union is a gift and a blessing.
He was speaking during a grand Eucharistic Thanksgiving and a celebration of the matrimonial sacrament held at the Vieille Case Roman Catholic Church, which brought together couples from across the diocese to commemorate their love and commitment. The ceremony formed part of World Marriage Day celebrated on Sunday, February 9.
“I want to begin by suggesting to you couples that your union is a gift, it is a blessing,” he said. “A gift and a blessing not simply to you, but the church and society so, thank you.”
He continued, “You know very well that in the Catholic Church we are in the Jubilee Year of Hope and the world really needs the light of hope that you radiate as married couples.”
He argued that far too often people view marriage as simply a ceremony, a social event, an arrangement that has been entered into with an exit plan if things don’t work out.
“But through your perseverance, to the witness of your love, you tell us that marriage is something deeper, something greater…,” Bishop Forbes stated. “And so, to all of you who have weathered and continue to weather the storm, thank you.”
He pointed out that there are many lessons married life has taught couples over the years, “And lessons that I believe all of us can learn from.”
Bishop Forbes highlighted three lessons that can be learned from married couples.
“The first is the importance of self-donation, of selflessness…,” he noted.
He continued, “Someone once said that going from ‘me’ to ‘we’ is the hardest part of love. As married couples, you have learned to move from ‘me’ to ‘we’…”
Bishop Forbes told married couples that, “you don’t reach 10 or 15, or 25 or 50 years in marriage unless you learn to go from ‘me’ to ‘we’. That is a lesson that all of us can benefit from.”
Moreover, he noted that marriage is not a fairytale or a garden paradise, it is a covenant between two imperfect people.
“It takes place between men and women with all their limitations and failings, so mutual respect, patience, tolerance, these are essential…also forgiveness,” Bishop Forbes stated.
He recalled some advice Pope Francis gave to married couples several years ago.
“The Holy Father says it’s normal for husband and wife to argue, it always happens, he says. But he says never let the day end without having first [made] peace,” Bishop Forbes noted.
According to Forbes, the Holy Father recognizes the importance of forgiveness, “and so the third lesson that we can learn from you is the value of letting go or forgiving or burying the hatchet, but not marking the spot…”
He said forgiveness is essential.
“No institution, no society, not even the church can thrive without the value of forgiveness,” Bishop Forbes said. “You teach us the importance of forgiving.”
Furthermore, he encouraged married couples to think of a way that God can use their union to be a benefit to others.
“Think of the ways in which God can use you to be of service to the church,” he encouraged. “Think of the ways God can use you to bear witness to him. Think of the ways, the reasons, the means by which God can use you as its instrument.”
As part of the celebration, several couples were recognized for their remarkable milestones, including those celebrating 25 and 50-year Jubilee anniversaries from February 14, 2024, to February 14, 2025. The longest-married couple in the St. Andrews Parish and one exemplary couple were honored, along with couples who have served in the Marriage and Engaged Encounter Ministries for over ten years.
In a first for this event, one priest and one Religious with Jubilee anniversaries of consecrated life were recognized. Additionally, two business houses that have consistently supported the activities of the Marriage and Engaged Encounter Ministries received special awards.
World Marriage Day is a global observance that pays tribute to the beauty of faithfulness, devotion, sacrifice, and joy in marriage. This year, approximately 150 couples attended the celebration, dressed in shades of orange.
Among the attendees were Her Excellency Sylvanie Burton, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Mr. Burton, who previously participated in World Marriage Day at St. Gerard’s Cathedral Chapel in 2024.
The theme of this year’s celebration, permanently adopted by the Worldwide Marriage Encounter, is “Love One Another.” This phrase, inspired by the commandment given by Jesus in John 15:12, serves as a guiding principle for married couples, encouraging them to live out their covenant with love. During the church celebration, couples had a powerful moment to renew their wedding vows, reaffirming their commitment to love one another until death do they part.
It became a European/roman thing. They never understood what Egyptians were doing, serving God. remember Greeks and Romans came to Africa/Egypt illiterate, and without a God, until the Egyptians, at sword point, made a god for Alexander the Greek’s general called Savior or Soter; later renamed Christ. Yes, Europeans have you worshipping General Soter to this day.
The “Egyptian High Priests” must have mentioned the 1st Trinity, Akenaten who left his wife and became celebrate.
When deadly Roman ruler justinian built the first roman church, the Hagia Sophia, in North East Egypt for ‘his wife’, she only let celebate Egyptian High Priests and priestesses into that pagan behemoth.
Today, 1500 years and allegedly over $2 billion later in payments for mostly boys abused victims, the current pope cracked and began allowing/blessing same s*x unions? Like the shaping of what Christianity is today, it’s a process, it changes with the flow of victims. Nothing to do with our spirituality.
Kendrick, I was about to read your epilog, on the subject, nevertheless, I decided to simply respond in a personal way pertain to you and the rest in you Roman Catholic cult, calling yourselves priests and bishop. I can go into the word of God, and find the scripture that dictates, and emphatically state the criteria that makes one a bishop, in the body of Christ, the Church.
You are not a bishop, according to God word; because one of the criteria as told by God, is that a Bishop must have his wife and children!
So, my question to you is: where are your wife and children, how many children do you have ?
If you do not know it yet; the disciples who walked with Jesus Christ when he was on earth, all had wife’s, and I suppose if they had wife’s they must have had children too?
Whereas you fail to meet the standers of God to be a Bishop, I must inform you that you have no spiritual authority to comment on any issue pertaining to marriage, when you lack marriage experience in a…
Let’s put religion aside for a minute and get real. What can an unmarried person say to a person that is married and going through their struggles nou? Oh ok, he can say the bible says marriage is a gift and a blessing from God . Bishop please stay away from this subject and allow those that understand the problem deal with it
“The Bible states the responsibility of a bishop in Titus 1:7, where it refers to the bishop as “the steward of God,” denoting management and responsibility over the household of God. A bishop is an overseer of the church, responsible for appointing and supervising other leaders, and ensuring the upholding of biblical doctrine. To be a bishop, one must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, and not a lover of money.”
It is important to not in the Book of Titus 1:7 it said “A bishop is an overseer of the church, responsible for appointing and supervising other leaders, and ensuring the upholding of biblical doctrine. To be a bishop, one must be above reproach, the husband of one wife.”
It did not say bishops must uphold pope, and Roman Catholic doctrine, of a priest and bishop deprive themselves of having their wife’s and children.
In conclusion, be aware that God doesn’t condone homosexuality; proof of that is the destruction of two cities “ Sodom” and the other “Gommara.”
Even if I believe I spell the name of one of the cities incorrectly, read for yourself in the Bible where it condemns unnatural sex!
How can a Man calling himself pope (papa) violate the word God, authorizing you to marry two men which is not normal or natural in the sight God, and rather you condemn the papa and his wishes of making homosexuality a natural thing, by marrying man and man which is an abomination, you should repent, get yourself a wife and get out of the Roman Catholic cult and save yourself from hell!
The Bible said some men are born eunuchs, some are made eunuch!
Your pope (papa) has made you a eunuch: Unless, you know that you were born a eunuch, get out of that religion, you can still serve God by perching his word, rather than be involved in Rome false doctrines!