During a three day visit to Milan to support the activity of the World Meeting of Families, Pope Benedict spoke several times, addressing young catholics, holding a question and answer session with young people, and preaching 1 million faithful at Sunday Mass. Traditional family values are the key to navigating modern society Pope Benedict told Read more
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his status to “married” Saturday and received over one million “likes” from his followers. But the site he founded isn’t always so marriage-friendly. In fact, lawyers say the social network contributes to an increasing number of marriage breakups. More than a third of divorce filings last year contained the word Read more
There were 20,231 marriages registered to New Zealand residents in 2011. This is the lowest number of marriages since 2001 when 19,972 weddings were celebrated. The number of divorces also dropped, down from 8,874 in 2010 to 8,551 in 2011. “The decrease in divorces in 2011 is consistent with the recent trend of declining divorce Read more
At 32, one of my clients (I’ll call her Jennifer) had a lavish wine-country wedding. By then, Jennifer and her boyfriend had lived together for more than four years. The event was attended by the couple’s friends, families and two dogs. When Jennifer started therapy with me less than a year later, she was looking Read more
Auckland Catholic Bishop, Patrick Dunn, is appalled at an Auckland’s Rock Radio stunt of offering on-air divorce for sale on the station on Valentine’s Day. In this stunt the station advertised for a wife or husband who wanted to quit their marriage. The Rock would cover the cost of a divorce if the successful applicant was prepared Read more
A Connecticut judge recently ordered a divorcing couple to disclose their Facebook and online dating passwords. The soon-to-be-ex-husband and wife, Courtney and Stephen Gallion wont just be giving up their investments, cars, TV’s and children, but also their Facebook passwords. It is well known evidence from social networking sites is useful for divorces, and their Read more
An Australian report says the well-being of Australia’s children and young people has deteriorated alarmingly in the past decade – and the falling marriage rate is partly to blame. The report pinpoints the fall in the marriage rate since 1989 from seven per 1000 population to 5.5 – and the rise in children born to Read more
While studies have long shown the negative effects on children of divorce compared to those from two-parent households, a new study has determined that children born to to cohabiting couples fare even worse than children from divorced families. Despite a drop in the divorce rate, “family instability continues to increase for the nation’s children overall, Read more
A record low 20,900 marriages took place In New Zealand last year, less than one-third of the number in 1971 and one half of the 1987 rate. In 2010 the marriage rate was 12.5 per 1000 unmarried adults. 273 resident civil unions were registered, of which 73 per cent were same-sex. Catholic Centre family life adviser Sue Devereux said Read more