Why cohabitation over marriage?

[kenofken]

My wife and I lived together for 11 years before getting married in 2006. We’re more comitted than ever. I can’t say that formula works for anyone else, but it did for us. No one knows what tomorrow will bring of course, but we’ve made it farther than most of the people we know who married right out of college.

 

[Vico]

This is incorrect, as it would punish the child for the sins of the parents. The children of cohabiting parents are more than welcome to receive the sacraments in the CC. In fact, one might even hope that the parents viewing their children receive the body and blood of our Savior while they can not might kick them in the pants to normalize their situation.

Otherwise perhaps the children will receive a handy cap but it won’t come from the Church. Rather it will come from their parent erroneously teaching their children that “all love is valid” and there for that there is absolutely nothing wrong at all with cohabitation which could have a tremendous impact upon the child later in life, perhaps even affect it’s salvation.

Thank you, I am very glad to know that. I found on the Vatican website, the instrustion given in 1993 by Blessed Pope John Paul II (bold and red are mine):

"The Code of Canon Law incorporated this doctrine when it states that “parents are obliged to see to it that infants are baptized within the first weeks after birth” (Code of Canon Law, can. 867, 1; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1250-1252). In keeping with the salutary counsel that Baptism is to be celebrated only when a well–founded hope exists that the child will be raised as a Catholic and so allow the sacrament to bear fruit (Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction on Infant Baptism, 30; Code of Canon Law, can. 868, 2), many Dioceses issued particular guidelines to implement these directives. Although intended neither to discourage infant Baptism nor to render its celebration unduly difficult, such diocesan or parish guidelines have sometimes been applied in more restrictive ways than prescribed by the Holy See. On occasion Baptism has been unwisely denied to parents requesting it for their child. Pastoral charity would bid us to welcome those who have strayed from the practice of their faith (Cf. Lk. 15: 4-7), and to refrain from making demands not required by Church doctrine or law."

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1993/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19930605_alabama-ad-limina_en.html