Marriage during the Ebola outbreak: What did the Church impose in Congo?

Written by: Ayman Ragab

Despite the Ebola outbreak in Bunia, in the Republic Democratic Republic of CongoHowever, some families were determined to go ahead with their sons' weddings.

However, the local authorities and the church imposed certain procedures that had to be followed, although not everyone was happy about it.

Solange Hahati, a bride, said they had invited 300 people to her wedding, but when they arrived at the church, church authorities only allowed 50 people to enter, according to the Associated Press.

Strict orders from the Church

She said: “We realized this was a problem, and it was very difficult for us because we wanted to celebrate our wedding with all our friends.”.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been facing a new outbreak of Ebola since last May.

Congolese authorities have confirmed a total of 452 cases and 82 deaths.

71 new cases were confirmed in 24 hours, which authorities considered a sign of “active community transmission”.

The current outbreak in Congo is suspected to have infected more than 1,000 people.

The number of confirmed cases is much lower because many suspected victims give in to their symptoms outside of hospitals and without conclusive evidence that they have Ebola.

Weddings in Congo

To reduce the risk of infection, wedding organizers, local authorities and religious leaders decided to cancel some of the activities that usually take place during these social gatherings.

“There are no kisses, and we are keeping greetings to a minimum to avoid Ebola. We don’t touch each other. Everyone goes their separate way,” said Benoit Nyangi, a relative of the groom.

For its part, the church suspended activities such as confirmation, baptism, and ordination.