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The Catholic church in Mexico has been accused of bending its own rules on marriage to allow Enrique Peña Nieto to enhance his image ahead of his successful run for president.
Documents obtained by investigative reporters appear to show that the church hierarchy fast-tracked a marriage annulment for the actor Angélica Rivera, who became Peña Nieto’s wife 19 months before he was elected president.
Peña Nieto’s first wife, Mónica Pretelini, died in January 2007 after suffering an epileptic seizure. His subsequent romance with Rivera, who had been hired as the public face of Mexico state, where Peña Nieto was governor, produced a steady stream of puff pieces and cover stories in the country’s gossip magazines.
Rivera, a popular soap opera star, was married to TV producer José Alberto Castro from 2004 to 2008. They have three daughters together, including two who were born out of wedlock. The archdiocese of Mexico City annulled their marriage in May 2009, noting that the ceremony had taken place on a beach in Acapulco and exhibited “defects of canonical form”.
But the newly revealed church documents cast doubt on the archdiocese’s story that an improper wedding ceremony was sufficient grounds to annul the marriage.
A copy of Castro and Rivera’s Catholic marriage certificate appears to show a proper church ceremony took place in a Mexico City parish on 2 December 2004 – before the Acapulco beach service and in contradiction of archdiocesan claims that it did not take place in an authorized house of worship.
theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/07/mexico-catholic-church-enrique-pena-nieto-angelica-rivera-marriage-annulment-rulesAnnulments are available to all Catholics, though the process is cumbersome and can take years to complete, according to a priest consulted by the Guardian. That is especially true for those lacking the cash or connections to people in prominent positions. Pope Francis has only recently attempted to make annulments more accessible.
The issue is: Angélica’s first husband (José Alberto Castro) was going to be a priest, so he knew what was necessary for a valid marriage. The marriage was declared null because there was (supposedly) a “public simulation”. But, he claims that the public ceremony was just a “thanksgiving” kind.Unfortunately,corruption like this is not unique.
Even though the annulment may have been valid, ordinary citizens who have had to wait or are still waiting for their annulment will be annoyed that the Agelica Rivera’s own was fast tracked.