Ohio Bishop eliminates annulment fees

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felsguy

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“Bishop George V Murray, S.J. (Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio) has decided to eliminate all fees for the annulment process effective immediately (8/14/15)”
doyorg.ipage.com/files/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1808:bishop-announces-annulment-fees-will-be-eliminated&catid=36:diocesan-news&Itemid=53

I believe that if more (most? all?) bishops followed suit, not only would it remove one of the obstacles hindering many individuals from seeking an annulment as the announcement points out, it would also in time eliminate some of the myth and nonsense about “buying annulments” a la the Kennedys et al.
 
It’s a good time to do this right before the Year of Mercy. It would really be ideal for all dioceses to do this. But then they have to find the money from somewhere else to pay for all the costs involved.
 
felsguy said:
Moderator, please move to Catholic News if more appropriate

“Bishop George V Murray, S.J. (Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio) has decided to eliminate all fees for the annulment process effective immediately (8/14/15)”
doyorg.ipage.com/files/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1808:bishop-announces-annulment-fees-will-be-eliminated&catid=36:diocesan-news&Itemid=53

I believe that if more (most? all?) bishops followed suit, not only would it remove one of the obstacles hindering many individuals from seeking an annulment as the announcement points out, it would also in time eliminate some of the myth and nonsense about “buying annulments” a la the Kennedys et al.
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I’m not conversant with the topic of annulments so I’ll restrict my comments to the cost of running a Diocese which I’ve have superficial understanding due to my previous business with my Diocese some years back. While the Church never requires money for sacraments, there are services provided that are not sacraments and do take time from paid administrators. Our Diocese employs a modest amount of people in fields needed to keep the 60-odd parishes operational.

In the ideal world, the Diocese would have enough benefactors who would donate all the money needed to keep their operations going so they can support the many parishes. Sadly, as in the case of many Dioceses (and parishes), the needs outpace the supply so there are business decisions that must be made to keep the entire Diocese fiscally afloat. It’s a necessary evil of this world and there are critics aways.

Here’s the question that I always like to ask myself when someone criticizes the Church on the grounds of collecting “fees”: how much do you value the service provided by the Church? If you think the Church is merely extorting money from sinful people because they can, that’s your opinion (and I opine you’re wrong.) If you believe that the Church provides a vital service to God’s people and needs to collect a nominal fee to keep itself solvent, then offer $100 more than the fee! Think of it this way: if God judges you by your heart and your heart is filled with economic calculations and greed, what do you think His judgment will be?
 
This is the same Bishop that Pope Francis is appointing to participate in the upcoming synod. Very good stuff
 
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