Africa-Press – Angola. The couples of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the World, “The Tocoists”, officially began to wear rings this Sunday, 49 years after the institutionalization of the practice in 1975.
Speaking to the press, Bishop Afonso Nunes pointed out that the use of rings is an ancient ritual, but that it was formally institutionalized by the church in 1975.
According to the bishop, “it has been 49 years since the first Tocoist couple got married, complying with God”s law towards men”, but without the use of the ring also due to persecution at the time.
The bishop emphasized that from now on Tocoists, as Christians, will adopt the use of wedding rings, leaving behind what he called hypocrisy regarding the marriage commitment.
During the homily at the service of Tocoist families, whose motto was “Love is the Supreme Gift”, the bishop reiterated the importance of resorting to the pillars of the family, such as reciprocal love, where father and mother live in harmony, serving as an example for their children.
He stressed that it is not enough to provide clothing and material goods, but it is essential to transmit values to ensure the solidity of the family.
On the occasion, the 75th wedding anniversary of Simão Gonçalves Toco was celebrated, considered a basic example of reciprocal love and maintenance of family values.
The bishop lamented that, nowadays, distorted values are overriding the true meaning of the family, citing as an example the separation of couples after ascension to important positions, often forgetting the people who were by his side in times of difficulty.
“This concept of family should not prevail. We want firm, strong families and a prosperous nation, based on the precepts of Christ,” he concluded, emphasizing that, in the Sunday service, the use of shoes in the temple was also official.
For Pastor Adelino Canhandi, executive secretary of the ecclesiastical province of Luanda, married for 26 years, the act represents compliance with what is regulated. “We are happy and honored”, he expressed.
In turn, Carlos Lutango, auxiliary bishop, married for eight years, the placement of the ring does not make much difference, being only a complement to honor the marriage oath, which is honesty.
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