Marriages in Catholic Churches have taken a 50 percent drop in Ireland since 1996.
That's according to newly published statistics from the Central Statistics Office.
Figures show an increase in couples choosing to marry through a civil ceremony, with personalised touches on the day.
Fr. Liam Power told WLR that while it is a significant drop, the figures are still high for Catholic weddings.
"In 2022 for instance, 40% of wedding ceremonies were catholic. Compare that to 1996 when 90% of all weddings were celebrated in the catholic church.
"That's a very dramatic decline in Catholic church weddings, but what I found interesting is that in 2021 50% of all wedding ceremonies were still classed as religious.
"It has a number of implications for ourselves in the church. We have to look at why this is happening. I would regard a humanist ceremony as a profound spiritual dimension.
"Maybe to help couples discern that and recognise that spiritual connection is really important."
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