Ahwiaa (Ash), Dec. 30, GNA - The lack of adequate preparation and the inability of prospective couples to assess each other properly are major contributions to the increasing rate of marriage divorces in the country, a Catholic father has said.

The Very Reverend Father Thomas Manu, Vicar General of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese of the Catholic Church, therefore, appealed to parents to properly counsel their children to enable them to adequately prepare for marriage and learn the values of the matrimony before contracting it.

Rev. Manu was delivering a sermon to mark the Feast of the Holy Family, at Ahwiaa St. Peter's Catholic Church on Sunday. He attributed the upsurge of social vices such as armed robbery, rape, child delinquency and prostitution to larger extent broken homes and urged couples to ensure discipline in their homes to enable their children grow into responsible citizens.

Rev. Manu observed that the quest for material wealth and positions in society, had made some parents to abandon their responsibilities, thereby resulting in the children going wayward.

The Vicar General advised parents to train their children with the word of God and guide them to become responsible adults in the future. Rev. Manu also advised the youth, especially girls, to desist from indecent dressing to prevent them from sexual harassment.