Let 'em have it Franz.
Don't forget, Pope Benedict XVI is the Pope who asked "the Vatican's highest appeals court to consider reviewing church rules on marriage annulments."
Tomorrow two motu proprios are scheduled to be released and some people are so scared ... Yet Benedict is the one who initiated the review, and Francis is the one issuing the decree. Everyone seems to be parsing the Pope's words on everything, and today spittle flecked nutties are slobbered all over online. Desthpicable!
So anyway - this is what Pope Benedict had to say before he resigned and before anyone even heard of Francis... Speaking to the members of the tribunal of the Roman Rota:
Benedict said "lack of faith" on the part of the spouses can affect the validity of a marriage.
While the Catholic church forbids remarried divorcees from taking Communion, church tribunals can declare a marriage void if it can be demonstrated that some key elements -- such as a commitment to have children -- were missing in the first place.
Catholics who obtain an annulment for their first marriage can then remarry without facing church sanctions.
In his speech to Rota judges, Benedict stressed he wasn't suggesting an automatic link "between the lack of faith and the invalidity of marriage," but seemed to equate a "lack of faith" with other justifications for an annulment.
The pope said he wanted to "draw attention to how such a lack may, although not necessarily, also hurt the goods of marriage," since faith in God is "a very important element for living in mutual dedication and conjugal fidelity." - Source
Song for this post here.
Great picture and even better information reminding us all where it started and where it will end. I am certain those two holy men discussed this whole thing.
ReplyDeleteGonna be interesting to see who melts down and who slings mud at Papa Panchito.I hope the combative critics prove me wrong. ^^
The annulment rules were tightened under Pope Benedict in 2012, as was consistent with his decades long concern that annulments had simply become "Catholic divorce" (especially in the US which issued more annulments than the rest of the world COMBINED).
ReplyDeleteHe still initiated the review of the process. The original document here: http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2013/january/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20130126_rota-romana.html
DeleteWith embedded links/footnotes to other allocutions prior to January 2013, demonstrating a continuum of purpose and necessisty.
I'm hoping for a both/and. There are parts that seem to need tightening and parts that seem to need loosening.
DeleteIf you would be interested in knowing . . . the Catholic Dogma . . . that we *must believe* to get to Heaven . . . I list it on my website > > > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com
ReplyDeleteGod knows what you think and believe . . .
Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Deuteronomy 31 : 21 >
"For I know their thoughts, and what they are about to do this day."
Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Job 21 : 27 >
"Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against Me."
Catholic writing of Romans 1 : 21 >
"They ... became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened."
I hope the new rules take into account the perfidiousness of human beings. I had a co-worker who was in a civil second marriage but decided to return to the Church when her daughters (by the second husband) reached Communion age. She went through a long process of getting her first marriage annulled; it should have been a slam dunk because that husband had never wanted children. Annulment obtained, she had her marriage to her second husband convalidated. So it was "till death do us part," no backing out. Two months later the new husband told her he wanted a divorce. When she asked why he had gone through with the convalidation (you can imagine the tone that must have been asked in), he said he'd done it to make her happy. He did not have a Catholic background, but he must have had a CLUE he was tying her for life. After that, I believe, my co-worker gave up on having relationships recognized by the Church.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested to see what the new rules are going to be having gone through the nullity process myself ove 10 years ago. The interview with my priest was like confession without absolution BUT I knew it had to be done. He was very gentle about it - I was lucky. I just kept praying the Holy Spirit would guide the Tribunal and everyone involved so the truth would come out. All I wanted was to be reconciled to the Church and be able to receive Holy Communion again - I would have walked naked over broken glass and hot coals to have that - thank goodness the Church had other requirements.
ReplyDeleteFuture headline: "Conservative Priest Refuses to Witness Marriages Until Pope Restores Marriage Validity to 2015 Requirements"
ReplyDeleteSynod Fatigue has me paranoid and restless.
ReplyDelete