Teno underscores value of marriage
Calling the community to support efforts to promote the performance and stability of marriage, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday proclaimed Feb. 11, 2001 as CNMI World Marriage Day.
The governor stressed that by celebrating this event, the community will recognize the value of the basic unit of the society that hones the values, morals and character of every child who will be the heads of the society in the future.
The World Marriage Day is an annual celebration in honor of the sacrifices of husband and wife in their daily married life to foster unity and fruitfulness in the community.
Mr. Tenorio said the celebration speaks readily of the role and values of married couples who arre symbolically seen as “two candle-like figures who remind that married love enlightens the world”.
“The couple is joined by a heart, focusing on love as the power that fosters unity within the couple and generates the capacity to be life-giving and inspires others,” the governor emphasized.
With a theme “Love One Another,” this year’s celebration is the 15th World Marriage Day that has been organized and celebrated in the Commonwealth under the auspices of the Catholic Church and World Marriage Encounter Inc.
The celebration of marriage started in Baton Rouge, Los Angeles in 1981 where couples encouraged local officials to proclaim St. Valentine’s Day as “We Believe in Marriage Day”.
The event was later on presented to the Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s national leadership who in return spread the practice to other countries.
In 1982, at least 43 governors officially proclaimed the day and celebrations spread to U.S. military bases in several foreign countries and in 1983, the name was changed to “World Marriage Day”.
In 1993, His Holiness Pope John Paul ll imparted his Apostolic Blessings on World Marriage Day and the celebrations continue to grown and spread to more countries every year.
