Religion IN BRIEF : Report Cites Rise in Cohabitation

The U.S. Catholic bishops’ committee on marriage and family has issued a report on cohabiting couples, which many priests consider the most troublesome issue in premarital counseling.

A 1995 nationwide survey by Creighton University showed a number of Catholic couples were living together when they began premarital counseling. The report terms this a fairly recent phenomenon.

The report, which does not set policy, notes that living together out of wedlock violates church teaching. Many dioceses ask priests to urge cohabiting couples to live apart before the wedding, the report says, but under canon law a couple cannot be denied a church ceremony even if they refuse.

Traditionally, Catholicism worried that public weddings for cohabiting couples would scandalize the community. But the report says the social stigma has lessened.

The report emphasizes that cohabiting couples have a higher risk of divorce. Citing two dozen scholarly studies, the report advises priests to help couples confront the reasons behind increased risks of divorce.