Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 10: Date before marriage so that till death you do not part.

And date in a ?truly Christian ambience? ? in other words, without physical involvement.

The tips from the Catholic Church to prospective couples has come in the wake of rising number of divorces in Christian families. Though the recent assembly in Kochi of the 3.5-million-strong Syro-Malabar Church did not hand down the dating prescription, the message was clear: many people, who do not know each other, make haste to wedlock and repent at leisure.

?Of course, I can?t say the western-type of dating is the answer, but date they must, in a truly Christian ambience,? church spokesperson Father Paul Thelekkat told The Telegraph.

The church, which has an unbroken apostolic tradition tracing back to St Thomas, also said ?it was highly desirable that prospective couples undergo medical check-ups prior to the betrothal in view of mounting cases of AIDS and other related diseases?.

Expressing deep concern over increasing instances of marital break-ups, the assembly urged parents to provide prospective couples sufficient time to get to know each other before they tie the knot.

The church wanted parents to allow the girl to go to the boy?s residence to get a glimpse of the life in her future husband?s family.

The assembly also discussed at length consumerist deviations from the teachings of the church. ?Dowry is a social evil. The church should take the initiative to propagate the idea that women also have an equal right in family property,? it observed.

The church will ask families to avoid pomp and luxury during celebrations, especially at weddings.