Church Includes Khmer Culture In Catholic Weddings

Posted: 3rd April 2008

PHNOM PENH (UCAN) -- Marriage in Cambodia, where Catholics are few and Catholicism does not have deep roots, presents challenges to the Church along with opportunities for inculturation.

"One main difficulty is that a good number of Catholic couples like to celebrate traditional wedding ceremonies before going to church for the Catholic blessing," explains Colombian Father Omer Giraldo, parish priest at Neak Loeung Church, southeast of Phnom Penh.

"We prefer they have only one ceremony at the church, if they indeed want to witness to the Christian faith," the priest of the Yarumal missionary society told UCA News recently. "Quite often we, as priests, are confronted with the value of the genuine faith experience when couples or families hold two ceremonies," he continued.
Nonetheless,he acknowledged that when both the bride and groom are Catholic, "it is easier to agree on things."

According to Father Gerald Vogin, a Paris Foreign Missions priest, the local Church allows a Catholic to marry someone from another religion in a church ceremony, but with certain conditions.

"Many couples are Buddhist and Catholic, so when they ask for marriage, we require they be engaged for six months. Otherwise, they are not yet really 'old' enough, in the way of responsibility, to be a couple," he told UCA News. "If they asked for marriage rashly, I will reject it," the parish priest of Kompong Cham Church, northeast of Phnom Penh, told UCA News.

According to government figures, Catholics form less than 0.2 percent of Cambodia's 14 million people. Buddhists account for more than 95 percent, and Buddhism is popularly seen as part of the identity of the predominant Khmer ethnic group. Mary Rat Thida, 31, who was married in2007,was "very excited" to get married at St. Joseph Church in Phnom Penh.

"Even though my husband is not a Christian, our celebration was Catholic. The wedding ceremony was very simple and full of Cambodian traditions," she told UCA News. Later they also had a traditional wedding steeped in Khmer Buddhist culture. "Because of his love for me ... he is willing to do whatever I suggest, and he has tried to do so," Thida said, laughing loudly. "Sometimes he wakes me up to go to church now. And he always brings me.

" The Catholic woman added: "I reciprocate. I respect his beliefs as well."
Father Vogin described their marriage as somewhat typical, and explained the normal wedding-preparation process.

"The lesson we give them has five steps. First, the couple has to freely choose to be married, even when they are entering a marriage prepared by the parents.The couple must be honest and faithful to one another," he said.

"They cannot have abortions, because a child is a gift from God, and they must agree to educate their child in Catholic thought and traditions," he continued. "Finally, the couple has to be responsible in society," he said, pointing out that "they need the people around them to help them grow."

Truong Leap Ronluc, a member of the liturgy committee at St. Joseph Church, told UCA News about some of the ancient Khmer traditions the Cambodian Church has incorporated into wedding ceremonies.

One example she cited is bangvel popel, the welcoming ceremony the priest gives the new couple "In this case the light of Jesus is given to the new couple for a happy life, after the Gospel reading," she said.

"Then there is chong dai, for which the bride and groom carry a sword. They are to be like the weapon --which also has two faces -- and protect their life through any circumstance or difficulty."

Ronluc added that the bride and groom also go around together to receive help from relatives -- "not only ideas but also material and money." She also pointed to "bach phkasla, which means blessing, done with flowers."

However, Eoung Tri, also of the liturgy committee, told UCANews: "The most important part of the wedding is the ring, which comes with God's blessing and the new spouse's promise."

Article Source: UCAN