There was a time when the vicar’s role in a marriage stopped at the church gate after the confetti was thrown.
Now, however, clergy are to offer advice on everything from financial planning to who should do the ironing. They will even venture into the bedroom.
Worried by the high numbers of divorces, the Church of England has produced its guide to the perfect marriage, called Growing Together, to help couples prepare properly for the rigours of modern marriage.
In 120 pages, the guide advises couples to make priorities among their goals in life, including sex, children and sport, even suggesting that they consider who does the cooking and who cleans the lavatory.
It tells prospective husbands they must learn to improve their capacity to listen, while prospective wives need to be honest about how they intend to spend their money. It also says the couple should talk openly about their love life.
“Sex, far from being naughty, is something holy and wonderful and something to be celebrated. Like any other skill, it has to be learned, and their task is to be each other’s teacher,” it says.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/09/nmarriage109.xml
