Pregnancy  When pregnancy occurs outside of marriage it can be a time of great stress and pressure, as well as a celebration of new life. The church views such situations with compassion and concern. However, marriage is not an automatic solution. Your priest can offer counseling and alternatives that may be more appropriate. The decision to marry must be free of any and all pressure.

Age  Couples under 21 years of age require special attention. While age may not be the only gauge of maturity, statistical evidence certainly points to many extra problems for younger couples. Your priest may want to meet with your family or friends and perhaps even a marriage counselor to ensure suitable maturity before a date is set.

Prior Marriage A prior marriage of any type by either party must be brought to the attention of your priest immediately. While we understand divorce may end most obligations a couple would have for each other, we do not believe it actually ends the marriage itself. Any prior marriage would have to be annulled in a church process in order for a person to be free to marry again. There are different kinds of annulments and they take different amounts of time to complete. They differ depending on the baptismal status of the two people involved. Your priest would be able to tell you about how much time would be needed and what is involved. However, we cannot set the date until after it is finished.

Motivation  If a Catholic partner is not now and has no intention of ever returning to the practice of the faith, it does not make sense to have a ceremony that affirms such a commitment. The ceremony must be an authentic and genuine event. We wouldn't want anyone to say or do anything they do not believe.

Cohabitation  Catholics believe that sexual intercourse is a deeply satisfying expression of a love commitment already publicly given to your partner. While there are many reasons for living together before marriage, some quite noble, the main visible sign of cohabitation or living together is the sharing of this physical act of commitment before the public marriage vows. Your priest may invite you to share how you came to decide to live together, and your understanding of how it has affected your relationship.

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