What I don't understand is why non-Catholics who don't agree with these requirements consent to them and then complain. Is it because your fiance pressures you and you feel you have to go along with it? That's not really the fault of the Church. If you don't desire marriage in the Church you (general you) should be honest with your partner and tell them that. If it is so important to them to marry in the Church, they should find a Catholic or someone amenable to the process. If YOU are important to them then they shouldn't insist on something you don't want. I don't think the Church is responsible for that. It has its own views on marriage, which we can debate because they are not necessarily all reasonable, but nonetheless, it is upfront about that and a Church marriage is not required. Most religious institutions have rules and procedures around marriage - some stricter than others and you can certainly shop around. Since the state ultimately provides marriage, you can also opt out of religious marriage altogether if you want to get married more quickly. Or you can have a civil marriage first and do a religious ceremony later (some do it the other way round in other religions such as Islam.)