For years, the Catholic Church has required all couples to receive premarital counseling before they can be married by a priest. Getting couples to talk about issues such as child-rearing and commitment would help all couples, not just those getting married in the Catholic Church, Ryan said. But he noted that a premarital class is no guarantee that couples stay together. Ryan said the divorce rate among Catholics is about the same as that of non-Catholics. Not everyone was convinced that the proposal made sense.
Counseling is wonderful if both people are willing to do it.
Pointing to his wedding ring, Cenova said that if he were still single, he wouldn't get married if he had to get premarital counseling. No one spoke against the covenant proposal, which has been introduced the past three years by Rep. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn. Several recently divorced Hoosiers told lawmakers how easy it was for their spouses to walk away from their marriage and urged legislators to back the covenant proposal. A Louisiana legislator also encouraged Indiana lawmakers to consider the idea, which was adopted in that state two years ago. The Louisiana law allows couples to get a covenant marriage if they receive premarital counseling, agree to seek counseling if their marriage becomes troubled, and understand that they can divorce only if certain problems such as abuse or a criminal conviction arise.