When pregnancy occurs outside of marriage, it is a time of great stress and turmoil for the parties involved and their families. The church views such situations with compassion and concern. However, marriage should not automatically be presumed to be the appropriate solution for the child or its parents in these cases.

The priest/deacon may offer counsel regarding other morally acceptable alternatives. In any case, the fact of pregnancy does not diminish the need for marriage preparation as described here. Indeed, it is even more vital to the success of such marriages that the established procedures be observed and the couple honor the six months of preparation.

If either member is under nineteen years old or was not engaged prior to the pregnancy, special counseling and evaluation must be obtained from a counselor approved by the archdiocese. This counseling must be completed before any consideration will be given to the request for marriage in the church.