Pope Tells Church Judges to Limit Marriage Annulments

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VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday urged church judges to limit the number of marriage annulments they grant by encouraging couples to stay together if possible.

Benedict made his remarks to members of the Roman Rota, the church panel with the highest authority in marriage cases, at a ceremony marking the start of the judicial year.

The pope told the judges that if they “glimpse hope” of a positive reconciliation, they should “induce the spouses to affirm if possible their marriage and reestablish their conjugal cohabitation.”

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I haven’t read the article, and if that’s really what the pope said, then great! I think some good could come of it, but unfortunately most of the time when people ask for an annulment, at least from what very limited experience I’ve had with it, they have already divorced, separated, started dating, gotten engaged and suddenly remember they have to get an annulment.
 
white_sheep said:
I haven’t read the article, and if that’s really what the pope said, then great! I think some good could come of it, but unfortunately most of the time when people ask for an annulment, at least from what very limited experience I’ve had with it, they have already divorced, separated, started dating, gotten engaged and suddenly remember they have to get an annulment.
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My dads first marriage ended in divorce approx. 30 years ago. He married my mother almost 27 years ago. I don’t believe he ever obtained an annulment, which could be why he hasn’t entered a Catholic Church in almost 30 years, but who knows.
What does someone do that had a divorce ten, fifteen years ago, remarried, and is ineligible for an annulment based on events that occured a decade ago? The Church just says “too bad son,” you made your bed, no communion for you sinner!

Limiting annulments will likely do nothing more than push even more people from the Church.

Just my opinion though.
 
I don’t want to read the article. I know a Catholic woman who married a non Catholic 40 years ago. Her husband, a non Catholic, was married for about 3 months then divorced. He was denied an annulment. Doesn’t Benedict realize that life is messy and people screw up?
 
Divorce is often a very complicated and touchy situation, and I hope the Holy Father treads water lightly and makes no sweeping policy changes before thoroughly examining the many issues involved imho. That said, the condition of the average Catholic family in the developed world is atrocious, and mountains of statistics exist to back up that assertion…:(:ouch:
 
Catholic29 said:
Divorce is often a very complicated and touchy situation, and I hope the Holy Father treads water lightly and makes no sweeping policy changes before thoroughly examining the many issues involved imho.
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The article doesn’t seem to mention any changes at all. It has always been the goal of a tribunal to see if reconcilliation is possible. That being said, reconcilliation is not one of the criteria examined to consider validity of the marriage. I have always wondered what would happen to an annullable marriage where reconcilliation was possible, or even happened. For example, it the woman insisted on birth control from the start, then it is not a sacramental marriage. Reconcilliation does not make it sacramental.
 
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