Is living in a Catholic marriage more fulfilling than any other kind?

[Caroline723]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering, have you found that being in a Catholic marriage is ( possibly, in any way ) more happy/satisfying than a non-Catholic marriage?

I’ve not been married as of yet, and I never really knew, but do couple who aren’t religious, or who ARE religious but not Catholic, have marriages that might be not as satisfying as Catholic marriages?

Please share your experiences and opinions of how you feel Catholic marriages compare to marriages that aren’t Catholic.

I’d like to believe that a Catholic marriage is more happy and meaningful than any other kind of marriage, but of course I’m biased because I’m Catholic.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

I think ideally Catholic marriages should be better than secular ones, but practically speaking, from what I observe, I see an equal number of Catholic vs non-Catholic marriages that I would judge as “good”. By good, I mean two people who seem to genuinely love and respect each other, who put each other’s welfare and happiness before their own .

There are plenty of conservative Catholics who are narcissistic, selfish, stingy, shallow, self-absorbed. Someone can believe all the right things, but still be a common jerk. Plenty of Catholics enter marriages of convenience. Take their spouses for granted. Be unsympathetic. Use a husband as a sperm donor, and a wife as a housekeeper.

In short, I think marriage is a case of grace building on nature. A jerk is unlikely to be transformed dramatically by the grace of the sacrament, but a person who is naturally thoughtful and kind, is fertile ground for work of grace.