FROM LEFT TO RIGHT (Notice they are mostly clerics and no women.)
Row 1 – Msgr. Alejandro W. Bunge / Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, SJ / Bishop Dimitri Salachas
Row 2 – Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio / Fr. Jorge Horta Espinoza, O.F.M. / Fr. Konštanc Miroslav Adam, O.P.
Row 3 – Msgr. Leo Xavier Michael Arokiaraj / Msgr. Pio Vito Pinto / Msgr. Maurice Monier
Row 4 – Rev. Fr. Nikolaus Schöch, O.F.M. / Prof. Paolo Moneta
Pope Francis Establishes Commission to Reform Marriage Annulment Process
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See Press Office on Saturday announced Pope Francis has decided to establish a Special Commission for the study of the reform of the matrimonial processes in canon law. The decision was made on August 2, 2014.
This Committee will be chaired by Msgr. Pio Vito Pinto, Dean of the Roman Rota. The other members are: and will be composed of the following members: Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts; Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, SJ, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Bishop Dimitri Salachas, Apostolic Exarch of the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church; Msgrs. Maurice Monier, Leo Xavier Michael Arokiaraj and Alejandro W. Bunge, Prelate Auditors of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota; the Rev. Fr. Nikolaus Schöch, O.F.M., Substitute Promotor of Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; Fr. Konštanc Miroslav Adam, O.P., Rector of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum); Fr. Jorge Horta Espinoza, O.F.M., Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University Antoniamum; and Prof. Paolo Moneta, formerly professor of Canon Law at the University of Pisa.
The work of the Commission will start as soon as possible and will have as its goal to prepare a proposal of reform of the matrimonial process, with the objective of simplifying its procedure, making it more streamlined, and safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of matrimony.
Filed under: Annulment, Bishops, Catholic, Church, Marriage, News, Sacraments, Sexuality, Uncategorized |
Blogger Priest 
Fr. Joe,
It doesn’t bother me at all that there are no women within the commission. I’ve already been through the annulment process … and wasn’t singing hallelujahs when the petition was granted. I wanted to see if my marriage had been truly “Sacramental”. Neither my ex-husband nor myself are involved with other individuals. I know I care for him very much, and, I believe he still cares for me. I do wonder if it had been granted because most are. Still, it was the decision of 2 Tribunals; I have to believe in the Wisdom of the Catholic Church. No. I don’t like it; my ex doesn’t like it. We both accept it.
When one looks at the divorce process plus the amount of money, funds given to the Tribunal doesn’t pay for priests’ yachts (hope not anyway). Lawyers charge by the phone call – courts tie things up for years sometimes. People will go through all that then demand laxity from the Church? Catholics sending out the SOS by bringing up divorce should spur immediate intervention.
If laxity instead of providing a response to couples sending out a type of SOS, marriages will continue to fail. It’s too bad a Parish team doesn’t contact the couple. The breakup of a marriage is very lonely — isolating. I went to daily Mass, frequented Confession, prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament daily, …. and the marriage ended.
There are many questions — not a lot of answers. Some couples live together because it’s cheaper — they love each other but find it more expensive to be married. Could they be married in the Church only? I don’t know.
I realize there are many layers to this issue — the divorced and remarried Catholics who want to come back home and receive Holy Communion. As mentioned above, there are many who cohabitate for financial reasons. Solutions don’t rest in the hurry up and get an annulment so I can remarry this other person, hopefully it will include intervention from the parish level a type of First Responders to save a marriage.