Negros’ sad wedding ceremony!

What was supposed to be a very special happy day for a couple in Amlan, Negros Oriental, turned out to be an embarrassing incident after a priest hurriedly started the holy Mass even if the entourage and the bride had not finished marching at the center aisle of the church during the start of a wedding ceremony.

Not enough, the priest scolded the couple in front of many people upon the marching bride's arrival at the sanctuary close to the altar. Somebody documented the incident, and the bride posted it on social media. As a result, it went viral.

In her post, the bride expressed her disappointment at the wedding ceremony. The bride admitted that the wedding was scheduled for June 8, 2024, at exactly 8 a.m. But a night before the wedding, one of their lady sponsors who work at the church informed them that the wedding was rescheduled to 9:30 a.m. on the same day. They immediately echoed this information to the whole family.

Because they were excited from their point of view, they arrived at the church earlier than scheduled, which was before 9 a.m. To their surprise, the church staff met them and angrily scolded them for being late. They were not given the chance to be heard for their side. This was the root cause that led the incident to escalate.

On the other hand, St. Andrew Parish of Amlan, Negros Oriental, issued a statement on the said issue. It explained that the wedding schedule had been made a month before and no changes had been made. So when the wedding sponsor relayed the rescheduling to the couple, it was done in her unofficial capacity.

The statement continued: Instead of arriving for the 8 a.m. wedding Mass, the bride and groom arrived at 9 a.m. Despite being late by an hour, the assisting priest celebrated the Mass out of charity to the couple. He had to hurriedly make some adjustments, as there was a scheduled funeral Mass that would follow at 9:30 a.m.

However, it admitted that along the way, there were statements carried away by emotions. At least they asked for an apology: “Hence, we express our sincere apology to the bride and the groom, to their respective families who were directly offended by the turn of events.” The statement also offered an apology to the bereaved family whose funeral Mass schedule was affected due to the incident.

The lady sponsor who relayed the information to the couple already asked for an apology by the newlywed couple, the priests, and all who were affected by the controversy. She admitted committing a mistake but in good faith.

Netizens expressed their different opinions on the incident. Some blame the lady sponsor, others blame the newlywed couple, and many blame the officiating priest for not being considerate of the couple's special day.

So who is at fault? The three cannot deny their faults or shortcomings, so the incident happened. But who has the bigger, if not the biggest, fault?

The Bible says: "Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given."

It's good that the priests offered an apology. There are many expectations for them as professionals, as leaders in the parish, as teachers of patience, faith, love, hope, and forgiveness, and as God's servants. The saying, "Action speaks louder than words," is still very relevant in the advent of the internet.