Bishop Denis Nulty said, “The latest CSO data, recording marriages in 2025, that was published today, shows fewer couples getting married in Ireland year-on-year. This worrying trend applies regardless of whether marriage was celebrated as a sacramental ceremony, or otherwise.
“Together, as people of faith and all citizens up to the level of policymaker in Government, we ought to be seriously concerned at our declining marriage rate. Marriage is positively correlated with stability in families and that of wider society in general. With over sixty years of operation, Accord is very well established as the only all-Ireland service that provides preparation to couples ahead of their married life, but help is needed. No doubt but that the decline in marriage numbers is a policy area meriting immediate State intervention, and investment, in the interest of the common good.”
Bishop Denis Nulty is Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin and chair of the Council for Marriage and the Family of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
These ceremonies, led by bishops like Bishop Nulty, celebrate the upcoming sacramental marriage and highlight Accord’s marriage preparation programs.
The blessings support couples in nurturing their relationship and spiritual connection.