LETTERS: DIVORCE STATISTICS

To the editor:

My comments pertain to a front-page item Feb. 9. The focus of the item is current efforts to reduce the frequency of divorce in the Cape Girardeau area. I felt greatly affirmed by the citing of the necessity for preparation for marriage (not wedding, but marriage). What at one time was considered the privilege and the joy of parents is now substantially in the hands of the churches. This is another indication of the decline of the art of parenting. Parents are the primary instructors of their children in their preparation for marriage, whether or not they intend to be.

In 1976, I helped to pioneer a marriage preparation ministry in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. It has been gratifying to see the quality of the development of marriage preparation, but especially to experience the appreciation of prospective brides and grooms for assistance given them by priests and, increasingly, lay persons in our parishes. It is a cause for joy to see the relief expressed by the couple when they have tangible, convincing indications that their marriage should be delayed -- what they had already felt but did not have the courage to acknowledge prior to their instruction for marriage.

The above is given for public assurance that I have no negative attitudes concerning the proposed efforts to reduce the incidence of divorce. God bless those efforts.

The Southeast Missourian article states, "Nationally about half of all marriages end in divorce." The writer has fallen into the trap of using frequently quoted information that is erroneous. The writer is in good company. Recently, columnist Walter Williams in a Southeast Missourian column cited a writer in the Washington Post as having made the same error. Williams stated that the allegation that about 50 percent of all marriages in America end in divorce is a lie that is repeatedly given to the American people in print and electronic reporting.

The error is in citing the number of marriages that take place during a given year, then comparing that number with the divorces that took place during that same year. The persons who were divorced during that given year might have been married for less than a year up to possibly many years. If there were 50,000 marriages in a given region during a given year, and there were 25,000 divorces during that same year, then 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, it is said. That is absurd mathematics.

Actually, according to columnist Williams, only 11 percent of all living adults who ever married are presently in a divorced status. Clearly, multiple marriages and divorces are a factor in calculating the rate of divorce. However, presently married people -- 54 million -- outnumber divorced people -- 3 million, says Williams.

In any case, persons considering marriage should have adequate, effective marriage preparation for an intended lifetime of happiness in marriage.

MONSIGNOR JOSEPH E. GOSCHE

St. Michael Parish

Fredericktown

EDITOR'S NOTE: Monsignor Gosche is correct. The unattributed statistic about the marriage-divorce ratio also was widely used during the meetings that were held as Cape Girardeau met to decide whether or not to adopt the communitywide marriage-counseling program.