That's according to a nationwide survey by the Catholic Church in Poland, which church media reported on Tuesday.
The aim of the survey was to learn more about today's couples and their motivations for a church wedding.
Results from the Archdiocese of Warsaw, for example, show that the decision for a church marriage is not only religiously motivated.
At the same time, the majority of respondents described themselves as believing (71.2 percent) or deeply religious (18.3 percent). Most couples have been in a relationship for more than five years (43.8 percent) or for three to five years (29.2 percent).
Around 67.2 percent lived together before the marriage. According to church teaching, this is forbidden and poses a pastoral challenge for the Church.
Pastoral Challenges
The advisor in the pastoral care of the Warsaw Archdiocese, Beata Chojnacka, explained that the figures would raise questions about pastoral care and the mediation of meaning and importance of marriage.
Young people often do not understand the arguments behind church teaching, according to the expert.
There were also tensions in marriage preparation courses on church teaching. "In initial or final surveys, young couples often name points they disagree with, such as abortion, artificial insemination, contraception, or living together before marriage," she stressed.
However, the question remains to what extent this is based on actual knowledge of church teaching or on public opinions.
The survey was conducted by the Institute for Church Statistics in collaboration with the National Center for Family Pastoral. The national results were presented by the Polish Bishops’ Conference at the end of February.
The investigation is designed as a long-term project: in two to three years, the same group will be questioned again. This should be about their current life situation, possible difficulties and need for support, Chojnacka explained.