Causes of marriage breakdowns among Catholic Couples in Bungoma Deanery, Bungoma Diocese, Kenya

Abstract

Many Christians have solemnized their marital unions through celebrating sacramental marriage in Church. However, living according to the Church doctrine of marriage has become a great challenge to others. The sanctity of marriage with its properties of unity and indissolubility, is being undermined today. Although marriage is a lifetime commitment, some couples have chosen to abandon the union sanctioned by God. This study was carried out to find out the causes of marriage breakdown within Bungoma Deanery, Bungoma Diocese, Kenya. Convergent parallel design of the mixed methods approach was used during the research. The target population was 540 people who included married couples (among them catechists), and priests from the eight parishes in the deanery. Purposive and simple random sampling were used to obtain a sample size of 170 people: married (160) and key informants (10). Primary data was collected using questionnaires (for married people) and interviews with key informants (priests and catechists). Secondary data was obtained from matrimonial registers (within the parishes), available church documents, the New Jerusalem Bible, internet articles and library books. The collected data was coded, themes created and then subjected to content analysis for both qualitative and quantitative data. The study findings revealed that, for most married couples, turbulences come with age, careers, and children, among other emerging social issues, which can cause incompatibility and make life difficult. If not understood and tackled with care, these challenges can result in marriage breakdown. It is thus recommended that married couples have to be cautious of the adverse effects of technology, especially social media, on the stability of marriage. They should bear in mind the three Cs of compatibility, complementarity and communication as the glue which holds the marital bond. This research was geared towards sensitizing people, especially Christians on the importance of having a deeper understanding of the duties and obligations of marriage whose origin is divine. The study would serve as a reference on how marital unions in the contemporary world can be defended and promoted.