The words of the Holy Father Francis on his flight back to Rome after his apostolic trip to Cuba and the United States can help, in line with the Liturgy of the Word, to tidy up our ideas.
Jean Marie Guenois, Le Figaro: The question
was on the notion of Catholic divorce, if the motu proprio has closed the
debate before the synod on this theme?
Pope Francis: This was
called for by the majority of the Synod fathers in the synod last year:
streamline the process because there are cases that last 10-15 years, no?
There’s one sentence, then another sentence, and after there's an appeal,
there's the appeal then another appeal. It never ends. The double sentence,
when it was valid that there was an appeal, was introduced by Papa Lambertini,
Benedict XIV, because in central Europe, I won’t say which country, there were
some abuses, and to stop it he introduced this but it's not something essential
to the process. The procedure changes, jurisprudence changes, it gets better.
At that time it was urgent to do this, then Pius X wanted to streamline and
made some changes but he didn’t have the time or the possibility to do it. The
Synod fathers asked for it, the speeding up of the annulment processes. And I
stop there. This document, this ‘motu proprio’ facilitates the processes and
the timing, but it is not divorce because marriage is indissoluble when it is a
sacrament. And this the Church cannot change. It's doctrine. It’s an
indissoluble sacrament. The legal trial is to prove that what seemed to be a
sacrament wasn't a sacrament, for lack of freedom for example, or for lack of
maturity, or for mental illness. There are so many reasons that bring about (an
annulment), after a study, an investigation. That there was no sacrament. For
example, that the person wasn't free.
Another example: now it’s not so common but in some sectors of common
society at least in Buenos Aires, there were weddings when the woman got
pregnant: “you have to get married.” In Buenos Aires, I counselled my priests,
strongly, I almost prohibited them to celebrate weddings in these conditions.
We called them “speedy weddings”, eh? (They were) to cover up appearances. And
the babies are born, and some work out but there's no freedom and then things
go wrong little by little they separate (and say) “I was forced to get married
because we had to cover up this situation” and this is a reason for nullity. So
many of them.
Cases of
nullity, you have, you can find them (the reasons) on the Internet, there are
many, eh? Then, the issue of the second weddings, the divorcees, who make a new
union. You read what, you have the “instrumentum laboris.” What is put in
discussion seems a bit simplistic to me to say that the Synod is the solution
for these people and that they can have communion. That's not the only
solution. No, what the “Instrumentum laboris” proposes is a lot more, and also
the problem of the new unions of divorcees isn't the only problem. In the
“Instrumentum laboris” there are many. For example, young people don’t get
married. They don’t want to get married. It's a pastoral problem for the
Church. Another problem: the affective maturity for a marriage. Another
problem: faith. “Do I believe that this is forever? Yes, yes, yes, I believe.”
“But do you believe it?” the preparation for a wedding: I think so often that
to become a priest there's a preparation for 8 years, and then, it’s not
definite, the Church can take the clerical state away from you. But, for
something lifelong, they do four courses! Four times… Something isn't right.
It’s something the Synod has to deal with: how to do preparation for marriage.
It’s one of the most difficult things.
There are many
problems, they're all are listed in the “Instrumentum laboris.” But, I like
that you asked the question about “Catholic divorce.” That doesn't exist.
Either it wasn't a marriage, and this is nullity -- it didn't exist. And if it
did, it's indissoluble. This is clear. Thank you •
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