Diocese of Pittsburgh eliminates fees for marriage annulments

[_Abyssinia]

The Diocese of Pittsburgh is eliminating all fees for couples seeking an annulment, Bishop David Zubik announced today.

Bishop Zubik said the decision was in response to Pope Francis’ call to make annulments easier, and free.

“My staff and I have long dreamed of this move,” Bishop Zubik said in a letter to Catholics. “Our dear Pope Francis inspired us to act now. He has called for marriage tribunals to ‘do justice freely, as we have freely been forgiven by Jesus Christ.’ My hope is that this decision will enable many people to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church.”

post-gazette.com/local/region/2015/04/01/Diocese-of-Pittsburgh-eliminates-fees-for-marriage-annulments/stories/201504010161

 

[SWolf]

Unfortunately, someone still has to foot the bill. Canon lawyers cost money.

On the plus side, at least now it doesn’t have to be rebutted for the millionth time that annulments are all about the money.

 

[DakiniArtist]

I think this is great news, as SWolf says, “On the plus side, at least now it doesn’t have to be rebutted for the millionth time that annulments are all about the money.”

This is how it is in our diocese. The Bishop makes sure money is there for it. It is my understanding folks can contribute, which I intend to do, as it sure did help us.

 

[jinglebelle]

Unfortunately, someone still has to foot the bill. Canon lawyers cost money.

On the plus side, at least now it doesn’t have to be rebutted for the millionth time that annulments are all about the money.

No,now it explains why some get annulments at all

 

[ARSpade]

’ My hope is that this decision will enable many people to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church.”

My concern is this statement sounds a lot like, “I can’t wait to give as many annulments as possible! Annulments for everybody!” which would essentially make it a Catholic form of no fault divorce with a rubber stamp from the Bishop.

I would’ve preferred something about actually doing justice and determining the true validity of a marriage.

 

[SWolf]

My concern is this statement sounds a lot like, “I can’t wait to give as many annulments as possible! Annulments for everybody!” which would essentially make it a Catholic form of no fault divorce with a rubber stamp from the Bishop.

I would’ve preferred something about actually doing justice and determining the true validity of a marriage.

That is a worry. Here’s hoping that much more extensive marriage prep will be mandated. There are way too many people getting married who have never stepped foot in a Church since they stopped living with their folks.

I have a divorced friend whom I am positive had an invalid marriage, as they were:

A. Cohabiting
B. Not fully open to life
C. Not Church-going
D. Had no resolution to raise the children in the faith.

The Church married them anyways. Not to vindicate my friend, as he was culpable also, but this has to stop. Even a baptised Catholic has no right to a Catholic Marriage unless they are fully aware of what they are agreeing to, and vow to abide by it.

 

[CaptFun]

- Is this a regional move from Pittsburgh to counter the song “Philadelphia Freedom”?

And is freedom for free a response to Freedom hall? :nope:

On the serious side:

Actually I think I had financial problems at the time my annulment case was being considered … and my diocese had a figure for what one should pay those marriage tribunal folks who were working on the case. But I was told that no one would be refused process for an inability to pay.

 

[powerofk]

That is a worry. Here’s hoping that much more extensive marriage prep will be mandated. There are way too many people getting married who have never stepped foot in a Church since they stopped living with their folks.

I have a divorced friend whom I am positive had an invalid marriage, as they were:

A. Cohabiting
B. Not fully open to life
C. Not Church-going
D. Had no resolution to raise the children in the faith.

The Church married them anyways. Not to vindicate my friend, as he was culpable also, but this has to stop. Even a baptised Catholic has no right to a Catholic Marriage unless they are fully aware of what they are agreeing to, and vow to abide by it.

Unfortunately, the marriage prep requirements vary widely from parish to parish, as the requirements (usually) are at the pastor’s discretion. Also, the bigger problem is that, just like religious education, priests often just “see if the box has been checked” regarding marriage prep. Completing marriage prep (no matter how extensive) is no guarantee that the couple getting married actually “gets it”, just like completing 1-3 years (or more) of religious education is no guarantee that a child (or an adult, for that matter) “gets it” concerning the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. The problem, honestly, is that pastors are overworked, and simply do not have the time to properly discern whether (a) a couple is actually ready for entering into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony or (b) if a child (or adult) is ready for the sacraments. So, they go off the information provided to them by (a) a form, and (b) the people running the preparation programs (who usually just determine “readiness” by attendance), and hope that the couple was being honest on the forms and was actually taking the classes seriously.

 

[SWolf]

Unfortunately, the marriage prep requirements vary widely from parish to parish, as the requirements (usually) are at the pastor’s discretion. Also, the bigger problem is that, just like religious education, priests often just “see if the box has been checked” regarding marriage prep. Completing marriage prep (no matter how extensive) is no guarantee that the couple getting married actually “gets it”, just like completing 1-3 years (or more) of religious education is no guarantee that a child (or an adult, for that matter) “gets it” concerning the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. The problem, honestly, is that pastors are overworked, and simply do not have the time to properly discern whether (a) a couple is actually ready for entering into the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony or (b) if a child (or adult) is ready for the sacraments. So, they go off the information provided to them by (a) a form, and (b) the people running the preparation programs (who usually just determine “readiness” by attendance), and hope that the couple was being honest on the forms and was actually taking the classes seriously.

True.

I’m thinking very well documented consent and marriage prep would go a long ways towards establishing valid marriages. It’s tough to say you didn’t know what marriage meant when there is a portfolio to the contrary.

Some work up front would make annulments very rare, like they should be.

 

[ProVobis]

Thanks for that info. Very informative.