Posted on 01/24/2015 9:42:05 PM PST by AncientAirs
In investigating the validity of a marriage, ecclesial judges should consider whether the decision to marry was made in the context of values and faith ... Francis stressed “the crisis of values in society” is not a recent phenomenon, quoting Blessed Paul VI’s 1974 address opening the Rota’s judicial year, modern man “at times, wounded by a systematic relativism that bends to the easiest choices of circumstance, of demagogy, of fashion, of passion, of hedonism, of selfishness, so that externally he attempts to dispute the mastery of the law, and internally, almost without realizing, substitutes the empire of moral conscience with the whim of psychological consciousness.”
That, “in effect, the abandonment of perspective of faith leads inexorably to a false understanding of marriage, which does not lie without consequences for the maturation of the nuptial will.”
Reflected that the Church is able “to rejoice in the many families who, sustained & nurtured by sincere faith,” partake of the goods of marriage and participate in it with “fidelity and determination,” but added that the Church also knows the pain of many families that “collapse, leaving behind the rubble of relations, projects, common expectations.” ... Pope Francis also urged an increased presence of canon-law experts in every diocese to “counsel about a possible cause for a declaration of nullity” and for the presence of “stable court-appointed attorneys,” so that “real access for all the faithful to the justice of the Church’s justice” is assured.
Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-faith-a-criterion-in-investigating-a-marriages-validity/#ixzz3Po9gS8Ao
(Excerpt) Read more at ncregister.com ...
That’s what I thought it would all come down to... Was the marriage legit in the first place?
I would suggest that most aren’t. Even if they have been successful, even those weren’t legit. They were just lucky...
The rock star pope strikes again......
Faith is already a requirement for marriage in the Catholic Church. (except of course dispensation cases.)
Its one of the reasons most good priests require long periods of marriage preparation now.
Francis is floating every idea in the world to give instant annulments.
I would say regarding the marriages that got started on an immature footing, and yet turned out to be long lasting and reasonably happy, that at some point, God and the couple got together.
It’s an indication of how much marriage really is a thing that we are designed to do, and find contentment in— that even immature, selfish fools can eventually get it going right, with God’s grace.
Yep. There was a time when annulments were......rare.
I think annulments will increase.
But that is no substitute for a long-term serious project of doing better pre-marriage prep, starting in the home, and going up through high school and college. If this is a vocation, it needs to receive that level of attention. The number of people who go with the “Disney” view of love is appalling. Serious effort is required to anchor people firmly in reality.
“I would say regarding the marriages that got started on an immature footing, and yet turned out to be long lasting and reasonably happy, that at some point, God and the couple got together.”
I would agree with that, but the pope is talking about couples where that didn’t happen for whatever reason.
The Catholic Church has traditionally recognized marriages in most non-Catholic, but Christian, churches as being valid marriages.
So how is Francis going to address “faith” in those marriages? Could Protestant couples have the “faith” that Catholic couples don’t have?
There is not one mention of an “invalid” marriage in the scriptures,, this is a belief made up out of whole cloth
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