Ondjiva – The pastor of the Pentecostal Assembly Church Maranatha Ministry in the Province of Cunene, Cristiano Catumbue, on Wednesday advised young couples to focus on dialogue and responsible dating in order to create a structured and harmonious home.
Speaking to ANGOP in the ambit of 14 February, International Valentine's Day, he said that dating is a process of preparation for a married life or relationship, hence the need to know love as a fundamental and indispensable part of a lasting relationship.
"Dating is a crucial time of preparation for the couple to get to know each other, to find out more about family and cultural habits, which should be well utilised to avoid imbalances in the relationship", he stressed.
For that, he urges young people to embrace christian dating, based on doctrinal teachings in which responsibility, mutual respect and knowledge of biblical principles are fundamental for the creation of a strong household.
Cristiano Catambue condemned relationships based on material things, stressing that these things have led many couples to adopt indecent behaviour.
The pastor also lamented domestic violence and deaths in homes due to a lack of trust between partners, as well as social and other problems that demonstrate inadequate preparation during the dating period.
Gifts and treats dominate Valentine's Day
The traditional pressure to find the best gift for a loved one dominated St Valentine's Day, the date on which the love union between couples is celebrated in the city of Ondjiva.
On a visit to the Valentine's fair in front of Angola´s public radio station (RNA), in the early hours the saleswomen were busy setting up their shop windows and stalls of merchandise, as were the customers.
Lingerie, chocolates, flowers, cosmetics, accessories, briefcases, shoes and clothes, among others, which are bought in the markets, are part of the range of gifts available for this occasion.
According to the saleswomen Maria Hemenelite, Helena Mateus and Emanuela de Freitas, women are the main customers, adding that the prices are accessible to all budgets, regardless of their financial conditions.
The origin of the date has several versions and one of them relates that the Roman emperor Claudius II, during his rule, forbade marriages with the aim of forming a large and powerful army, as he believed that young men who had no family or wife would join up more easily.
However, one Roman bishop continued to perform marriages despite the emperor's ban.
It was Bishop Valentine, whose ceremonies were performed in secret, yet the practice was discovered, and he was arrested and sentenced to death.
During his time in prison, many young people sent flowers and notes to express their feelings of love.
Among the young people who sent messages to the Bishop was a blind girl called Arteries, who was the daughter of a prison guard and he allowed her to visit St Valentine.
The two of them fell in love and miraculously the young girl recovered from blindness.
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