Fewer taking wedding vows in Panama

Time are getting harder for those in the wedding business as fewer Panamanians head to the altar to make their vows.

A report published in La Prensa shows that  many couples, although living in a Catholic country, prefer not to marry choosing instead to form unions without any legal commitment.

The 1990 census showed 415, 215 409  married and 409,000 living together.

The 2010 census revealed that Panama has followed the path of non-Catholic countries around the world.

with 767,543  living together  and 596,212 married.

In other words, consensual unions increased by 87% between 1990 and 2010, while marriages grew only 43%.
Experts say there are two reasons for the change of culture in Panama: the economic situation and the lack of a clear life plan long term.
 The Catholic Church is concerned at the increase of the realtionships without any commitment. Archbishop José Domingo Ulloas think there should bemore emphasis on the formalization of marriage as a natural institution in society.
 "This high percentage of  non marriages denotes only one thing: the fragility that couples of Panamanian life. This country urgently needs to strengthen its institutions, and one of the most important is family, "said the priest.
 Among the concerns of the Catholic Church is the high rate of divorces and separations in the last 10 said. Bishop Pablo Morales, said that marriage is for a lifetime, but Panama is not looking at it that way. "There is no commitment  to a long relationship, Panamanians join. When  tey want to leave, everything is easier,"he said.
 Morales believes that the lack of commitment in marital relationships has plunged the country into a crisis of values. "We are suffering the consequences of this …  high levels of violence and no respect.”