A streamlined annulment process announced by Pope Francis is a positive step for the Catholic Church and has the potential to help many divorced Catholics in the healing process, according to Father Paul Counce, judicial vicar for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
“The church is reaching out to people who are hurting,” said Father Counce said. “We’re making it easier for them to lead lives of faith, to come to church, to come to Communion.”
The Vatican released Sept. 8 the texts of two papal documents, “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus” (“The Lord Jesus, the Gentle Judge”) for the Latin-rite church and “Mitis et misericors Iesus,” (“The Meek and Merciful Jesus”) for the Eastern Catholic churches.
The changes, including the option of a brief process without the obligatory automatic appeal, go into effect Dec. 8, the opening day of the Year of Mercy.
Pope Francis said the annulment process must be quicker, cheaper and much more of a pastoral ministry. The pope’s revised policy provides that in some cases, annulments may be obtained in as little as a matter of weeks.
The pontiff emphasized he was not “promoting the nullity of marriages, but the quickness of the processes, as well as a correct simplicity” so that Catholic couples are not “oppressed by the shadow of doubt” for prolonged periods.
Father Counce explained that the procedures announced by the pope contain two basic differences. One is the new abbreviated process, where if both parties are not contesting the annulment and are cooperating, then an annulment may be granted in as little as five to six weeks.
In a significant shift, those decisions will be made by the local bishop after consulting with the tribunal.
The second major difference occurs at the back end of the more traditional process, where no longer will each case be required to go to a mandatory appellate review. Father Counce said that alone could lop off as much as seven weeks or more off a process that previously could easily take a year or more, depending on the diocese.
Father Counce said the pope’s emphasis is on being merciful and pastoral and added the pontiff does not want Catholics to be put off by the bureaucratic process or expense to obtain an annulment.
Jesus Came to End Death and to Build a Church
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...
