GERMANY, fma. On February 7th, “Marriage Week” began in many European countries, and for the fourth time in the entire German federal territory; it is a week about subjects related to marriage, or an activity that simply aspires to offer something “good for marriages”. In many places around Germany, approximately five hundred retreats are held, where couples are invited for a special experience. Pavel Jerabek, a journalist from “Katholische Sonntagzeitung” -an important Catholic outlet- took something that seemed “special for him from a press release with many offers in southern Germany-the new training course of the Academy of Family Pedagogy that was to begin at the same time as the beginning of “Marriage Week”. The considerable training of family trainers is stressed from the colorful dance at the candlelight dinner, to a romantic trip beneath the stars, and the blessing ceremony”, the journalist said and he asked for an interview…
The training course has been changed to the second weekend of March, so that the couples, who are informed about it through the extensive article of Sonntagszeitung, will have the opportunity to participate.
“It is a matter of creating one’s own family atmosphere,” is the title that headlines the lower half of page 3 (the place that one sees upon opening the newspaper) of a detailed interview with Gertrud and Norbert Jehle, directors of the Academy of Family Pedagogy in Schoenstatt auf’m Berg, Memhoelz. The entire page – “Subjects of the week” – is dedicated to “Marriage Week”, which in the meantime has conquered a solid spot in the media that had not been pre-established, since in Germany, it only had begun four years ago. Surely all this can be attributed to the service of the network of communities and Movements “Together for Europe” that actively assumed Marriage Week.
We want to strengthen marriages in the way that they live their marriage
The relationship of Marriage Week with the Academy was quickly established. “Marriage Week was created to consciously strengthen marriages, to again clarify the importance of marriage in society, and this coincides precisely with the intention of training family trainers: we want to strengthen marriages in the way that they live their marriage.”
The training in the Academy is not in “competition with the classical marriage and family apostolate,” this is especially stressed and shown through the many examples of commitment of the family trainers in the diocesan marriage and the family apostolate.
What can the Church improve in accompanying young couples?
Pavel Jerabek’s last question was: “What can the Church improve in accompanying young couples?” The response is one fourth of the total text. Obviously, what is urgent is mentioned here. That was also the impression of Gertrud and Jorbert Jehle, who stressed the quality of good dialogue in this interview. Their answer to the question: “Above all, we have a new development in the younger generation: they want to talk openly. They want to know exactly what this is. They do not want ecclesial and theological content treated with excessive care; rather, they want it clearly stated: this is the way it is, this is our position, the cards have to be laid out and set aside the excessive care that reigns in religious matters.
The second point seems even more important to us— we must promote the potential that a marriage already has within itself. But it is not about working too much didactically or giving formulas; rather, it is about developing what is already within them. This is a specialty of the Schoenstatters. We address what each person; each couple has received as a vocation given by God, and also the conditions for it. When this is developed, joy for one another can emerge, the joy in faith, joy for life…”
The complete interview (in German) is in Katholische Sonntagszeitung of the Diocese of Augsburg, February 4th-5th, 2012, Nº 5, page 3. Individual requests for this edition at vertrieb@suv.de
Academy for Family Pedagogy (German)
Celina M. Garza: Spanish/English translation – M. Peña-Janknegt: English edit
