Couples for Christ eyes Guinness record for couples renewing marriage vows

Couples for Christ anniversary gathering. File photo from home.catholiceweb.com

MANILA — An international Catholic lay ecclesial movement will attempt on Saturday to break a Guinness World Record for the most number of married couples who would renew their marriage vows.

According to George Campos, executive director of Couples for Christ (CFC), they are looking to gather 50,000 couples at the Luneta Park on June 21.

“We attempt to break the previous record and we want a big margin 40,000 to 50,000 couples,” he said in a Church-backed weekly forum in Manila on Tuesday.

The event aims to beat the record of United Kingdom last February 2014, with 1,400 married couples.

Campos noted that aside from creating a new Guinness Record, the occasion would also celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the CFC.

“It is also a noble testament to strengthen peoples belief in the sacrament of marriage,” he said.

He added, “We are trying to say that marriage must be protected and must be sanctified as we say and this still believe in marriage and we are trying to say to others that you must also believe in marriage.”

The CFC official is confident that they can break the record, noting that they have about 500,000 members all over the Philippines, including Metro Manila.

He advised those who would like to join the event, to bring a copy of their marriage license to register, noting that participants who are married for a long time or recently married can join.

The celebration will start at 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm.

Campos added that non-CFC members can also join the event as long as they bring their marriage contracts.

Government statistics showed that registered marriages in 2011 declined by 1.3 percent compared to the figure from the previous year.

According to the records of the National Statistics Office, there were 476,408 marriages registered in 2011 showing a decline of 1.3 percent from 2010 with the 482,480.