OBSTACLES TO CHURCH WEDDINGS
Radio Veritas just recently released the results of a survey on the “obstacles” that hinder Couples on doing a Church Wedding. This Survey uses a stratified random sample of 1,200 respondents nationwide for a +/- 3% margin of error (gathered through a text-based and online data gathering process from an existing database of previous face-to-face on-ground interviews) the following information is indicative of the respondents’ perception on what they think is the biggest difficulty in doing a church wedding, inclusive of the dates covering January 5 – February 10, 2023.
Results of which are as follows:
When asked, “What do you think is the utmost obstacle in doing a church wedding?” The respondents answered: 32% Cost, 24% Requirements, 16% Process & Interview, 8% Attire, 6% Conflict of Faith and 14% remained undecided.
“The real reason for a church wedding is to celebrate a solemn Sacrament; and as a religious ceremony it acknowledges that marriage is an act of God. Sadly, the survey reveals that a Church Wedding is being readily associated with opulence which may not be the case. Weddings may be celebrated in a simple yet meaningful and blessed manner. What matters the most is that marriage is not a contract between a man and a woman, but a covenant between three. The third partner is Christ, and when He is given no room in a marriage, there can be no assurance for a happy Christian home” (Rev. Fr. Anton CT Pascual, Radio Veritas President).
Results when segmentized by gender reveals the following, “For Cost, more male respondents at 38% versus 28% for female respondents see this variable as an obstacle. As for Requirements slightly more female at 24% versus 23% for male respondents see this as a problem. This is also true for Process and Interview having more female respondents at 17% versus their male counterparts at 15%. Both male and female respondents see Attire (at 8% each) and Conflict of Faith (at 6% each) as hinderances to a Church Wedding. And finally, more female respondents at 17% compared to 10% male respondents remained undecided”.
To reorient couples that a church wedding is more than just the perceived extravagance but a spiritual ceremony that gives the bride and the groom the seeds of faith in God (which in turn helps them develop faith in each other), must characterize their perception towards Church Weddings. They can face the future full of optimism because they know that God will bring their marriage its daily comforts and ultimate triumph. Side by side they can start down through the years, held to each other by a love whose source is in the heart of God.
I guess this is also closely related to the fact that more Filipino Catholics likewise see nothing wrong with couples living together without receiving the sacrament of marriage, this is also according to another survey also conducted by Radio Veritas which showed fewer Catholics who still believe in marriage before living together.
This nationwide survey reveals that 40 percent would agree that couples should get married first before living together. On the other hand, 45 percent believe that being married is not necessary before living together,” it furthered. The remaining 15 percent were undecided over the question: “Should couples get married first before living together; and not engage in a common-law partnership arrangement?”.
The survey also showed that among the elderly respondents aged 61 and older, 61 percent couples should get married before living together; 33 percent said that being married is not necessary before living together; and 6 percent were undecided. For adult (40-60 years old) respondents, 48 percent said couples should be married first before living together; 29 percent said that being married is not necessary before living together, and 23 percent were undecided. As for young adult (21-39 years old) respondents, 21 percent said couples should be married first before living together; 58 percent said that being married is not necessary before living together, and 21 percent were undecided. Finally, for teen (13-20 years old) respondents, 34 percent said that couples should be married first before living together; 51 percent said that being married is not necessary before living together, and 15 percent were undecided.
Radio Veritas president Fr. Anton Pascual said the survey results pose “a challenge in the Church’s ongoing mission to evangelize the faithful most especially nominal Catholics on the beauty of the sacrament of marriage. To instill this social reality on the respondents’ perception towards common law partnership, we should evangelize our Catholic faithful on the transcendent value of marriage which places God in union between husband and wife”.
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