Pro-family groups say Canadian census profile shows bad news

Published: 2007-09-17

OTTAWA (CNS) -- The latest census profile from Statistics Canada shows trends that spell bad news for the future well-being of society, said pro-family groups. That data, released Sept. 12, showed more single parents are raising children alone, common-law relationships have increased, and the number of married couples continues to decline. For the first time, unmarried Canadians over age 15 outnumbered married Canadians, and couples without children outnumbered couples with children. More Canadians than ever before -- 13 percent -- are living alone. "This very worrisome data is the result of 40 years of increased pressure on marriage and the family from the state, from the modern economy and from the culture," said Michele Boulva, director of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family. The Catholic Civil Rights League president, Phil Horgan, said he sees a direct relationship between the decline of marriage and recent court decisions that legalized same-sex marriage and put common-law relationships on the same footing as marriage.

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