Motu Inapproprio: Francis Streamlines Marriage “Annulments”

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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? Oh yes, they can — go to your local abortuary and see how many cars you see in the parking lot with rosary beads hanging from their rear-view mirrors)
• “Brevity of conjugal life” is now grounds for annulment
• “Lack of faith” is now grounds for annulment
• These reforms pertain to both the Latin and the Eastern churches
• These reforms will take effect on December 8, 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the first day of the “Holy Year of Mercy”

Obviously, what’s going on here is divorce, not annulment. Hundreds of thousands — millions, perhaps — of people over the years didn’t suddenly find out that “something essential was missing” in their marriage. Rather, their marriage ran into problems, they got themselves a new partner (or want to get one), and now they want to get rid of the nasty burden of a valid marriage because they’ve fallen in love with someone else. That is what’s going on here, let’s not kid ourselves.

But this is not how it works. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Mercy Incarnate, said to the woman at the well quite bluntly: “[H]e whom thou now hast, is not thy husband” (Jn 4:18); and He taught His disciplies: “And I say to you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery” (Mt 19:9). (Notice that the clause “except it be for fornication” only applies to the prohibition to separate from one’s spouse — it does not apply to the prohibition to enter another union.)

The Novus Ordo Sect loves marriage annulments. It is one way they can ensure people will remain attached to the false Modernist hierarchy and not convert to true Catholicism, because once they do, their bogus “annulment” will be gone (there being no valid marriage tribunals in session currently, due to the prolonged vacancy of the Apostolic See), and who wants to give up a second “spouse” for the sake of one’s soul? Of course, we do not mean to suggest that things are hopeless for all who unhappily find themselves in an adulterous union — those who are unable to detach themselves from a false “spouse” because they have children to care for, do not have to separate from their children or their “spouse”, but they do have to live as brother and sister. (If you are thinking of converting and need help with such a situation, please do not despair but contact us and we will get you the help you need. You can remain anonymous.)

They can call it “annulment” in the New Church, but everyone — except for a handful of individuals affiliated with EWTN, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Catholic Answers and similar groups — understands very well that we are talking about de facto divorce. In 98% of cases, the annulment process isn’t about finding out if there was truly an essential element missing that would affect the validity of the matrimonial bond, it is simply about finding a copout, an excuse, for breaking up a valid marriage so as to put a facade of legitimacy on the new, blatantly adulterous union of one or both of the spouses. Yet Francis claims that this is being done “for the salvation of souls.” Sure — and abortion is committed for the health of the baby. We get it. At this point, the Novus Ordo hierarchy owes King Henry VIII an apology.

In the statistics of the “New Springtime” of Vatican II, the only thing that increased in the “Catholic Church” since 1965 is marriage annulments — not baptisms, not first communions, not marriages, etc. In his informative but now somewhat dated book Index of Leading Catholic Indicators, editor Kenneth C. Jones showed (p. 70) that three years after the close of Vatican II, in 1968, there were only a total of 338 marriage annulments in the United States. In 1983, there were over 63,000. In 1998, there were approximately 50,000. Obviously, what’s going on here is divorce, not annulment.

Now Francis has just ensured that the numbers will continue to skyrocket and that women will consider having an abortion as a sure solution to obtain a marriage “annulment” from the Modernist Sect. Hey, no big deal, right? After all, the same Francis had just announced that people can now be absolved from abortion a lot more easily during the “Year of Mercy”! Who said you can’t have it all?! What greater benefit can be given to families than to have the children exposed to grave danger, both physical and emotional, and to find easier and simpler ways to declare that a family was never actually a family and the children are bastards?

And for all those who under these buy-one-get-one-free annulment offers still can’t get their “Catholic” divorce, Francis will have a nice October Surprise waiting in the wings… Stay tuned — and get the popcorn ready. Actually, make that a barf bag!

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