Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. (Matt. 1:18-19)
The one year engagement/betrothal period was for the protection of BOTH parties. It showed the wife if the husband was able to provide and honest and, for the husband, if the wife was pregnant by some other man.
Do Catholics just swallow whatever their currently popular "apologists" spout or do most think it through first?
Could not tell you, I’m AG, and believe in the virgin birth, knowing Joseph was much older than Mary as he was already a master carpenter. Probably about 30 to her 12-13. And the angel who told him not to be afraid to take her to wife also told him to refrain from touching her until after Jesus’s birth. Scripture prophecy had to be fulfilled of virgin birth.