The President of the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda, Antoine Cardinal Kambanda, has called on young people to be more intentional and discerning when choosing marriage partners, stressing that many family breakdowns today stem from poor preparation and lack of strong family values.
Speaking in a televised interview over the weekend, Cardinal Kambanda addressed various social issues, including the increasing number of divorces.
When asked about the root causes of family breakdowns, he emphasized that most of these problems originate from the families people grow up in.
He said, “A good family lays the foundation for another good family. A man builds his family based on the example of his father. If he grew up in a good family, chances are high he’ll become a good husband.”
“The same applies to women. A girl raised by a responsible mother often has a positive model for building her own home.”Cardinal Kambanda explained that many people who experience marital problems often report that they came from broken homes.
In contrast, those raised in families with strong values tend to have more stable marriages.He also warned that many young people rush into marriage without truly knowing each other, often driven by intense emotions rather than rational understanding.“
Young couples often rush without taking the time to understand each other. A relationship starts in the heat of passion, blinding them. They’re drawn to physical appearance, but don’t take time to explore values or personality,” he said.
He further pointed out that engaging in premarital sex contributes to building marriages based on emotion rather than solid foundations, leading to instability.Cardinal Kambanda emphasized that lack of honesty and open communication between couples also leads to divorce, which harms the family unit and contradicts God’s plan for marriage a lifelong union meant to fulfill His divine purpose.
According to the Rwanda Judiciary report, 2,674 divorce cases were filed and heard in the 2024/25 fiscal year.
