“The Synod gathering in 2014 discussed simplifying the process for people and I’m pleased to see that Pope Francis has been able to move on this fairly quickly after that discussion,” said Cardinal John Dew, Moderator of the Marriage Tribunal.
He was speaking after Pope Francis announced that the marriage annulment process is to be simplified.
“The changes simplify the process and will hopefully speed it up; They are very welcome,” said Dew.
“We will need to think through how the changes will work in relation to our National Tribunal and the Regional Tribunal which we share with Australian Dioceses.”
“Pope Francis said in making the announcement that the process has been simplified and made easier but the grounds for nullifying a marriage have not changed.”
In May of this year the NZ bishops announced that the marriage tribunal would no longer charge fees for the process.
The Vatican commentator Robert Mickens says many in the secular media have once again misunderstood what Pope Francis has done.
“Just as some thought he single handedly decided recently that the Church could now forgive the sin of abortion, as if it had never done so before,” he says.
“They think he is now allowing any Catholic who is currently divorced and civilly remarried to make everything all right by getting a guaranteed quickie annulment.”
“But it’s not quite that easy. Or at least it is not supposed to be.”
Source
- Supplied New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Conference
- globalpulsemagazine.com
- Image: www.tvnz.co.nz