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Motu Inapproprio:
Francis overhauls Marriage “Annulments”, Abortion now Grounds for Nullity!
Clearly, they don’t have enough marriage “annulments”, abortions, or broken families in the Novus Ordo Church yet, so… Francis to the rescue!
Today, September 8, 2015, the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Vatican’s Argentinian lay impostor “Pope”, Francis, released two “Apostolic Letters” Motu Proprio to reform the process for declarations of matrimonial nullity. Here are the relevant links to the documents, in various languages:
- “Apostolic Letter” Mitis et Misericors Iesus (English)
- “Apostolic Letter” Mitis et Misericors Iesus (Italian)
- “Apostolic Letter” Mitis et Misericors Iesus (Latin)
- “Apostolic Letter” Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (English)
- “Apostolic Letter” Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (Italian)
- “Apostolic Letter” Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (Latin)
The first English reports and summaries on the new annulment changes have appeared — we are linking them here:
- “Pope Francis streamlines process for granting annulments” (Crux)
- “Francis’ annulment changes stress prompt decisions, power of local bishops” (National Catholic Reporter)
- “Pope Francis reforms Church law in marital nullity trials” (Vatican Radio)
- “Pope simplifies annulment process” (Scottish Catholic Observer)
- “Press conference details marriage law reforms” (Vatican Radio)
- “Francis’ annulment changes stress prompt decisions, power of local bishops” (Vatican Insider)
- Video: Main Changes to Annulment Process (Rome Reports)
- “Pope Francis Changes Church’s Annulment Procedure” (Catholic Family News)
- “Revamped annulment process focuses on speed, role of local bishops” (Catholic News Agency)
- “Pope Francis Reforms Annulment Process: 9 Things to Know and Share” (Jimmy Akin)
- “With Annulment Reforms, Pope Seeks to Remedy ‘Darkness of Doubt’” (National Catholic Register)
- “A second look at Mitis, especially at the new fast-track annulment process” (Novus Ordo Canon Lawyer Edward Peters)
- “A Wound Inflicted on Christian Marriage” (Novus Ordo historian Roberto de Mattei)
In a nutshell, Francis’ overhaul of declarations of nullity establishes the following major changes (we are basing this information on the news reports linked above):
- Process will be free of charge (diocese must carry the costs, can be helped by local bishops’ conference)
- One single sentence suffices – no more automatic appeal of the first sentence, though a manual appeal is still possible
- If one party fails to show up after being summoned twice, taken as consent that annulment process should move forward
- A first appeal is to remain local, that is, on the metropolitan level
- A second appeal can be made to the Vatican
- There need only be one single judge, under the local bishop
- The bishop alone can be the judge, bypassing the normal process of the tribunal, under certain conditions
- Abortion is now grounds for annulment (now this is just plain evil, as it may cause women seeking an “annulment” to have an abortion as a sure way to get their “declaration of nullity” — don’t think some could be this wicked?
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