Towards intercultural pastoral care

This dissertation by Ward Biemans SJ (* 1971) reports on five sub-studies on pastoral accompaniment and integration processes of Catholic migrant couples and intercultural couples, living in the Netherlands, before and after their wedding. The first is a literature study, which shows a sustainable beneficial effect of Marriage and Relationship Education (MRE) on relationship quality. A second, quantitative survey investigates the relationships between marriage preparation, pastoral accompaniment and relationship quality. Results show that overall, migrant couples and intercultural couples (n=223) appreciate a more intensive, professional, and welcoming MRE and pastoral accompaniment after marriage. It is also concluded that seeking reconciliation after a conflict (r=0.361) and experiencing forgiveness from one’s spouse (r=0.188) are significantly associated with a higher perceived relationship quality. Thirdly, twelve semi-structured in depth interviews with migrant and intercultural couples have been held. Results show that patterns of cultural transition (CT) are more common than patterns of cultural defence (CD) or intercultural transition (IT). From three categories of values,