"My Brother is Being Pressured to Move in with His Girlfriend by Her Parents." (Father Simon Says)

This letter from a concerned sister is a rollercoaster: family tension, moral dilemmas, and in-law drama that would put a soap opera to shame. 🎭   🚪 The Situation:   A 24-year-old guy tells his Catholic parents he’s planning to move in with his girlfriend. They’re like, “Absolutely not.” Meanwhile, his girlfriend’s parents are saying, “Do it, or she’s breaking up with you.” 😬   At first, he decides against it out of respect for his parents. But when he tells his girlfriend’s parents, they basically say, “Man up and stand up to your folks.” So, feeling the pressure, he changes his mind again and decides to move in.   ⛪ The Priest’s Advice (Wait…What?!)   The family suggests he talk to a priest for guidance. Shockingly, the priest tells him, “As long as you’re living as brother and sister, it’s fine.”    Fr. Simon is not buying it. Yes, technically avoiding sin is good, but as Catholics, we also avoid the near occasion of sin; let’s be real, living together but ‘just as friends’ is a massive temptation.   🔥 Fr. Simon’s Take    -This is a mess.   -The girlfriend’s parents are manipulating the guy. If he caves now, they will control his marriage forever.   -He’s not just risking his soul, but also his future happiness.   -Family Love ≠ Approval. His Catholic parents love him enough to not support his decision, which is the truly loving thing to do.   💡 The Practical Question: Should He Be a Godfather?   His sister, the letter-writer, had asked him to be the godfather of her baby, but now she’s reconsidering. Fr. Simon makes it clear: 👉 If he’s in a quasi-marital relationship, he’s not in a good place to be a godparent. The job of a godparent is to set an example of Catholic living, not to actively live against Church teaching.   💬 Final Thoughts: What Now?   Fr. Simon’s advice to the family: ✅ Love him. Tell him the truth, but don’t cut him off. ❌ Don’t help him move. That’s cooperating with sin. 🙏 Pray for him. He’s getting pulled in the wrong direction, and only God’s grace (and some solid brotherly advice) will help him see clearly.   💡 Bottom Line: This isn’t just about cohabitation. It’s about who’s calling the shots in his life: his faith, his family, or his girlfriend’s parents? Right now, it looks like he’s handing them the remote control.    🚨 Catholic PSA: Don’t move in together before marriage. It’s bad for your soul and honestly, bad for your relationship too. (Stats back this up; couples who cohabitate before marriage have higher divorce rates.)   Fr. Simon says it best: “Then there are things like mortal sin and going to hell to consider… but even on a purely human level, this is just a bad idea.”   💭 What do you think? Would you step in if this was your sibling?     The best way to listen to the Best of the Week is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It’s free and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out here.