What about "lobola"

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Hi Paul,

I am from South Africa, and in South Africa, like most of Africa,when a man wants to marry a women, he has to make a payment to the womens family before he can marry her. It is called “Lobola”. The price for the bride is determine by the father of the bride.

What is the view of the Catholic Church on this issue.

Thanks

-- Derrick (bugsy99za@yahoo.com), August 02, 2004

Answers

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-- (bump@bump.bump), August 02, 2004.

If the "price for the bride" involved a literal purchase, reflecting the attitude prevalent in some cultures that women are property and can be bought and sold like horses or cattle, the Church would see this as a violation of basic human rights and human dignity. However, it can sometimes be difficult to make a clear distinction between that scenario vs. certain traditional ethnic customs involving some sort of "compensation" for the "loss of a daughter". I don't know that the Church has made any definitive statements regarding such customs.

Interestingly, the opposite practice has more often been the case historically. In many cultures, the family of a young woman contemplating marriage is expected to make a payment in some form to the family of the groom-to-be. This is called dowry, and as far as I know the Church has never opposed this practice. In fact, girls or young women entering the convent have also traditionally been expected to bring dowry with them, to contribute to the support of the order, including their own education and physical needs.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 02, 2004.


Hi Derrick, I realise you directed this question to Paul however Id really like to find out what the Catholic Church in your part of the world has taught on this common custom but I was unable to find anything at all on the net. Are you able to ask a Catholic priest in South Africa to clarrify this issue? Please let us know how you get on.

Thanks Courtenay

-- Kiwi (csisherwood@hotmail.com), August 02, 2004.


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