Pope Francis has said he wished that all marriage annulment processes could be free of charge. In an address to the Roman Rota in January, the Pope said: “The sacraments are free. The sacraments give us grace. “And a matrimonial process pertains to the sacrament of matrimony. How I wish that all processes were free.” Read more
Pope Francis has ordered a review aimed at simplifying the Church’s procedures for marriage annulments. An 11-member commission, announced on Saturday, will seek to “simplify the (annulment) procedure, making it more streamlined, while safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of marriage”, the Vatican said. The commission is made up of canon lawyers and theologians and Read more
An American archbishop who has prominently opposed gay marriage is under investigation for alleged sexual relationships with other men. Archbishop John Nienstedt of Twin Cities, Minnesota, is being investigated by a prominent Minneapolis law firm hired by his archdiocese. Archbishop Nienstedt authorised the investigation himself. Numerous allegations have reportedly been received against Nienstedt, alleging he Read more
Ten Florida priests have accused their bishop of being a bully and have forwarded their complaints to the apostolic nuncio in Washington. The priests, in Venice diocese, accuse Bishop Frank Dewane of ruling by “intimidations, the use of fear, shaming, bullying and other non-Christian behaviours”. They accuse Bishop Dewane of “outbursts of rage, use of Read more
The Code of Canon Law is in the process of revision, with the focus particularly on strengthening the section that deals with offences and penalties. The work is in the hands of Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, who says the current code was drafted in the 1970s, “a Read more
Catholic bishops have told the British government that members of the royal family who marry Catholics under the provisions of new legislation will not be obliged to bring up their children as Catholics. During a House of Lords debate, Lord Wallace of Tankerness said he had been assured personally by Monsignor Marcus Stock, general secretary Read more
Pope Benedict XVI, who is stepping down at the end of this month, will become the first pope in six centuries to resign the papal office. The rarity of such an event raises many questions about Catholic law and its handling of this historic transition. For insights, Law Blog spoke with two experts at the Read more
Monsignor David Price, the Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Auckland, has received a prestigious canon law award recognising his outstanding service to the Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand. Price was presented with an Owen Oxenham Memorial award at the 45th Annual Conference of the Canon Law Society held in Melbourne from 12-15 September. There have been Read more