The Catholic Church’s guided process for interfaith marriages, also known as marriage with desperation from disparity of cult, was demonstrated recently at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Ogbomoso under the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, when Olori Clara Oluwatoyin Abodunrin, a devout Catholic, was joined in a holy matrimony with Oba Nurudeen Oloruntoyin Abodunrin; a Muslim Fulani traditional ruler and the Jooro Fulani of Ogbomoso Land. The unique celebration of love and faith received the full approval and blessing of the church.

In his homily, Rev. Fr. David Ayodeji said the church is celebrating God’s love, especially when a man and woman are joined in love, they, according to him, become one, just as Christians are one in Christ.

The cleric prayed for Christ to come into their home and enjoined members of the church to continue to support the couple with their prayers and encouragement.

The bride, ‎Olori Clara OluwatoyinAbodunrin, while expressing her gratitude to God and the church thanked God and Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Most Rev. Emmanuel AdetoyeseBadejo, for his unwavering support over the past 25 years.

Recalling her experience, as the CYON Secretary for the Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, the newly crowned Olori noted that Bishop Badejo stood by her, offering both spiritual and financial support. She was glad that her long standing prayers point to marry a good man who would allow her to remain steadfast in the Catholic have been fulfilled.

The new husband, Oba Nurudeen Oloruntoyin Abodunrin, also expressed his appreciation to the Catholic Church, Bishop Badejo and Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Olabode for guiding and teaching them about the Catholic faith.

Oba Abodunrin joyfully said: “Today is the happiest day of my life. The blessings of a Catholic faith-based marriage mark a new beginning for me and one that I will never forget.”

Admonshing the couple, shortly after the ceremony, Rev. Fr. Olabode, the parish priest, said: “The Church approaches this kind of union with both compassion and caution. We scrutinise the couple’s intentions deeply to ensure they understand what this union means in the light of faith.

If either of them does not understand what a marriage with desperation from disparity of cult entails, it is our responsibility to teach them either in Yoruba, Igbo, English or whatever language they best understand.”

Olabode added that there were two mandatory conditions needed before the Bishop could grant the required dispensation. The first, according to him, “the Catholic party must remain committed to their faith and secondly, the couple must promise to raise their children in the Catholic Church. Upon agreement, the couple underwent a six-month marriage course, followed by three consecutive Sunday banns published in the parish and elsewhere.”
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The cleric emphasised that the couple also completed a spiritual retreat, which helped them reflect on their responsibilities and the sacramental dimension of their marriage.

Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, while praying for the couple to succeed in their marriage, called on the church as an institution and the faithful to build bridges across different facet of life among regions and among peoples and institutions.

The celebration was graced by notable clergy and religious, including Very Rev. Fr. Boniface Wuraola, Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo; Rev. Fr. David Ayodeji. The Diocesan Coordinator of Catholic Youth organisation of Nigeria, Rev. Sr Elizabeth Agwu and Rev. Sr. Elizabeth Anieke.