zeszutko@sycamore.nrtc.northrop.com (Mary Ann Zeszutko) (06/10/91)
In article <Jun.5.00.28.58.1991.22080@athos.rutgers.edu> fasano@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Cathy Fasano) writes: >In>The statistics which I've seen suggest that the following groups have >lower divorce rate than average: >couples who attend church regularly >couples who pray regularly >couples who pray together >couples who were engaged longer than six months >These statistics are often presented as the rationale for some rather >stringent marriage preparation regulations that are nearly universal >in the Catholic Church in the US. (Last I heard, all but one diocese >in the US has a mandatory waiting period of at least 3 months, and most >also require a formal "marriage preparation" program like Pre-Cana or >Engaged Encounter. Of course the folks justifying the rules always >conveniently leave out the statistics which say that marriage prepara- >tion programs have no effect on the divorce rate.) > >Of>-- >Cathy Fasano > aka: Cathy Johnston, fasano@unix.cis.pitt.edu > cathy@gargoyle.uchicago.bitnet, uunet!unix.cis.pitt.edu!fasano >"If there's no solution, then it isn't a problem." -- Evening Shade I'm surprised the time requirement is so low. I know that for the dioceses of Chicago, Joliet (IL) and Los Angeles (CA), the _minimum_ required time between first meeting with the priest and the wedding day must be 6 months (according to the rules). We also had an "attitude survey" to fill out and discuss with the priest, which caused much trouble for a while. It was a series of statements to which you disagreed strongly, disagreed, were neutral, agreed, or agreed strongly. Both of us said "agreed" to the statement that "My future spouse has some habits or behaviors that bother me." The priest thought this was Major Warning Sign; we were thinking in terms of "He puts the dishes in the dishrack the opposite of the way I do it" and other minor things. Father thought we were talking stuff like drug addiction or beating! We had a choice of a one day in-parish seminar, or a weekend Engaged Encounter. Attendance at one was mandatory. Sometimes I think they throw requirements at engaged couples as more an obstacle course than anything else. If you can survive the marriage prep, you can survive the marriage! :-) (we have, so far) aMAZon