Whats wrong with cohabitation prior to marriage?
A. First, cohabitation means living together in a sexual relationship when not married. The Church teaches that the sexual act is reserved exclusively to the marriage covenant. Living together outside of marriage jeopardizes the sanctity of marriage and is contrary to Church teaching. Substantial studies have shown that couples who cohabitate, whether engaged or not, tend to be less committed to their relationship with each other and are less likely to marry. Couples marrying after cohabitating have a higher divorce rate than those who do not. Q. What is the Church’s statement regarding birth control? A. Responsible parenthood calls for couples to be open to life, generous and self-sacrificing. The Church gives guidance to couples by offering Natural Family Planning as a healthy, morally acceptable, alternative to artificial contraceptives as they prayerfully consider their calling to parenthood. Q. Are there any restrictions on where we may marry? A. Church law specifies that in marri
