Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – His Exc. Mgr. John Tong, Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, encouraged the members of The Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council, gathered for the annual meeting, to respond to the challenges of today's society towards marriage with the Catholic values of this sacrament. According to reports from the Kong Ko Bao (Chinese version of the diocesan bulletin), during the recent meeting of the Board, Mgr. Tong urged all to take the teaching of Blessed Pope John Paul II and the Church's social doctrine as key tools to face the high divorce rate and the widespread human selfishness devoid of a sense of responsibility. According to data published in the Hong Kong Special Administration in 2009, 51 000 marriages were celebrated in the territory and 17 000 divorces were registered; but in 2010 there were 53 000 marriages and 28 000 divorces. In this context, The Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council provided assistance and advice to 1,100 cases of marriage breakdown.
The Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council was created in 1965 thanks to the work of a Jesuit missionary. It is a Catholic service organization that offers free marriage counseling, marriage mediation, pre-marital education, support for family project, management of a women's human resources center. Its objective is the promotion of the family according to Catholic principles, regardless of creed. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 07/11/2011)
