Catholic weddings in steep decline

Mr. Gallagher also leaves out inter-faith marriage and an unnecessary head aches such as misinformed clergy.

For example, an old professor of mine pointed out that a prist had to be corrected when the professors grandson was to be batized; Justin was not a Christian name according to the cleric. The professor, a classicist, had to remind the uniformed Father that Justin Martyr was a famous Apologist. Another story I heard was a priest in the Dicocese of Brooklyn who did not want to baptize a child as the god father is Hindu (a priest in the Arcdiocese of NY had no problem with it). when it coems to inter faith marriage, I am crtain young couples will receive twice the idiocy.

The numbers from Phoenix, from an article last year in The Arizona Republic.

Church weddings have been on the decline in the Phoenix Diocese, officials say. The diocese covers Maricopa, Yavapai, Coconino and Mohave counties in Arizona.

Out of an average of 27,000 marriage licenses issued a year in those counties -- a number that has held steady for 15 years despite population growth -- the number of weddings conducted in a Catholic church has dropped from 1,542 in 1993 to 1,389 last year, according to figures provided by the diocese. The numbers have rarely topped 1,800 in the 40-year history of the diocese.

Even though about 15 percent of diocese residents profess to be Catholic, only 5 percent of marriages take place in church.

The decline has occurred even as the diocese has grown at a rate exceeding the population generally, from an estimated 355,000 members in 1993 to 644,000 today.

Mark Gray of Georgetown University, who has researched Catholic marriage in the United States, says the trend is not restricted to Phoenix.

Overall, he said, the number of Catholic marriages has declined from 10 or more per 1,000 Catholics in the 1940s and '50s to 3.5 today. The number in the Phoenix area for 2008 was 1.9 marriages per 1,000 Catholics.

More likely than the reasons church officials cite for the decline is that people have heard the grotesque stories of what all too many couple have had to endure to marry in the church.

From insults to over whelming censorship on songs couples desire to play to simply bad manners and curt pronouncements that, "You do it this way or it doesn't happen here."

And now the MA Bishops plan to spend money telling us what we already know (why get married if you don't understand its importance? many couple living together recognize that marriage is hard work, the church doesn't really support it and they want to be sure before making a commitment)? More naivete from our fearless leaders!

Maybe gay-marriage will save marriage.

These numbers do not portend a bright future for the church here in North America or around the globe. It could be that there is a growing "sensus fidelium" that it is time to have a funeral for the hierarchal church and start looking for something else.

The Catholic Church with their leadership crisis, predominantly gay but stubbornly celibate priesthood, anti-gay marriage push, anti-feminine inclusion regime, is sending such mixed messages to young people who are in the midst of choosing partners for marriage and family these days. No wonder there would be a decline.

Just the few numbers that are cited here are not just a "trend," but more like the "bottom is falling out" of the Catholic marriage business. This is not the result of just one or even a few factors.

Something else is afoot here. Maybe this is evidence of a tectonic shift in Catholic culture and consciousness? The Catholic Church's viability as a spiritual and cultural force must hang in the balance especially if the young no longer see its institutions as relevant to their lives, no longer see its rituals as expressive of their spiritual and religious aspirations and intentions.

The effects of the Great Recession on marriages is also an important factor that must be considered. The economic independence of women has tipped the balance too. As same-sex marriage equality gains steam in state legislatures and in the courts, you would have to believe that the trend would only amplify.

This may well be another "canary in a coal mine" for the hierarchs. Their ability to overcome their fear and defensiveness and respond to the "signs of the times" is dubious at best.

It will probably get worse before it gets better. We can only expect more parish closings, fewer Catholic schools, the scarcity of priests will only increase. The institutional infrastructure of Catholicism is crumbling.

The last persons in the universe to be teaching anyone about marriage are the bishops. They have not a clue what it means to be married. Only those couples who have lived their vows through sunshine and shadow are qualified to instruct others on living a sacred marriage.

The birthcontrol issue is one that will haunt the church for ages to come. You can be a stong Christian and use birthcontrol. In this day and age with both parents working and the families no longer living on farms, it is very difficult to raise 6 to 8 children.

"The local Catholic priests said" . . . They have identified the exact factors, which are fundamental and eroding the church. When do you suppose the bishops will wake up and open their church doors to the Catholics who don't accept some of their traditionalist rituals and outdated views?

I know priests and even bishops who secretly go off and marry their relatives and friends' children in destination weddings, but on Sunday continue to be hypocrites in forbidding others to marry on the beach or wherever. Everyone knows this happens. This is just one more gripe about the church.

As a family ministry couple for decades we watched the steep steep decline in Catholic wedding and no concern from chanceries. A decline of 50% since 2000 after a 50% decline from 1990. Family Life offices closed. de-funded. All the while that Catholic sacramental marriages were in a tailspin, we got more hype about secular civil same sex marriages. Bad management folks. ...

yeah, like, why get married if you can't use protection?

I agree that the attitude of some priests AND ESPECIALLY ORGANISTS AND LITURGISTS account for the a huge reason for the decline. When are they going to realize that having parish rules about so many minor things is such a turn off. Also, some of the Pre-Cana stuff is horrific. There are few things welcoming about Catholic Weddings, from priests who tell the couple how bad of sinners they are to the prohibition of the unity candle and no "Here Comes the Bride." Rather than allow some of things in order for it to be a teaching moment and good experience for young people, it becomes more of a reason not to go back at all.
In addition to marriage, I have also noticed the steep decline of funerals in the church. I have been called to do more services of at the Funeral Home than ever before. The Church is bleeding, and instead of addressing the wounds and their cause, most in the hierarchy continue to bark at people.

Better to be married outside the church than not at all.
When I recall the preposterous alternitive offered by the church to accommodate a situation to "preserve" the priesthood and "prevent scandal" it is all very hypocritical to say the least; not to mention the degregation of the woman and the deceiving of the faithful, not necessarily in that order.
Cardinal Hummes would know all about that.

As I divorced Catholic I was subjected to an incredibly abusive church bureacracy when I tried to get my marriage annulled. The Archdiocese of Toronto took my fee and never bothered to even answer my letters as I inquired for years regarding the status of the file. Turned out, after I inquired with the bishop, that they would not even hear my case as some civil effects of my marriage were still before the courts. Seems they would not expose themselves to the extremely remote possibility that their files on my case might be subpoenaed. Of course, this left my life on hold for years, as they never bothered to tell me about this so called 'rule'.
They refused to even meet with me to discuss, and like the Pope does with pedophiles, simply moved my file to another archdiocese when I filed a complaint.

I was truly sickened by the way my family was treated.

I come from a family that has been Roman Cathlic for countless generations. As our three children will see us get married outside the church, I doubt they will have their own marriages tainted by exposure to the sickness of Rome. Bye bye Benedict.