Norms for Marriage # The pastor of a parish is the father of his spiritual family and has certain responsibilities toward his children. That is why the faithful call their parish priest “Father” (Abouna). As such, it is the priest’s duty to remind the engaged couple that among their other responsibilities, spiritual ones must play a major role. For this reason, the following norms have been established.
Baptism is the first of the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church to be received. It opens the doors to the Christian Faith and to the other Mysteries (Sacraments). Without Baptism, none of the other Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church could ever be received.
Baptism is truly the welcoming of a child into a new “family,” the family of Jesus Christ. In this way, the Virgin Mary also becomes a loving mother for the child, and all baptized Christians throughout the world become the child’s “brothers and sisters.” More specifically for us, Baptism is the formal reception of a new member into our Catholic family, our Maronite family, and on the local level, our parish family.
