EscucharSAN JOSE - According to the most recent ruling of the Episcopal Conference, the minimum age to marry is now 18 years. The change only changes the fact that the minimum age is now a requirement for both men and women; previously it only applied to the former.
The Archbishop of San José, Román Arrieta, said that the decision was made after all of the bishops who take part in the Conference agreed on their worries about the growing family disintegration which affects Costa Rica and about the marriage of people who are not ready to take the responsibility that goes with such commitment.
``I know that there will be cases of people who will insist on marrying before that age... I cannot recommend a civil marriage and that is one option that the disgruntled may threaten us with, but it is a matter for the conscience of each individual. The Church does not marry people `to save face', that's foolishness; neither is it true that money can fix anything,'' Archbishop Arrieta asserted.
In Costa Rica, there is no minimum age for civil marriages.
According to the most recent data from the Civil
Registry, of the 23,050 marriages recorded in 1996, 50 percent were civil and 21 percent of the total ended in divorce.
Things did not change much in 1997. Of the overall 22,422 marriages, 52 percent were civil and 19 percent resulted in divorce.
Why?
Sexologist Javier Ortiz said that it is not clear why the Catholic Church made such decision.
``Doubtless, they want to project some sort of image. I don't think they pretend to change the reality by doing so. The people who don't conform will just live together, particularly when we take into consideration that the average age for the first coitus is 14,'' Ortiz explained.
Archbishop Arrieta remarked that only in exceptional cases will the Catholic Church consider the possibility of deviating from their new guideline regarding the minimum age to marry. ``But even in these cases, the granting of approval will not be automatic; the Church may say `No' anyway.''
Another sexologist, Mauro Fernández, said that even though he sees prudence in the initiative, there is also the prospect of an increase in the number of people who live together out of wedlock, whether church or civil. ``There must be education about marriage. It is not a matter of years or of experience,'' he remarked.
Fernando Valverde, of the Christian Family Movement said that ``even though we consider this an appropriate decision, it would be better if the minimum age were 20; at 18 one is not mature enough to assume such responsibility.''
