RI Catholic weddings drop 70 percent over 40 years

The number of Roman Catholic weddings in heavily Catholic Rhode Island plunged about 71 percent over the past four decades, with some couples citing the church's strict standards and its views on issues including same-sex marriages and birth control.

The Providence Journal reported that the number of Catholic weddings in the state dropped from nearly 4,500 a year to just 1,300 from 1969 to 2009, while total marriages dropped 17 percent during the same span.

Some pastors cite a variety of reasons, including that many couples are not following Catholic principles and many are moving out of Rhode Island.

The Rev. Francis Santilli of St. Philip Church in Smithfield says good role models can be a key to encouraging more couples to get married in the Catholic Church.

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