Posted on 09/08/2015 5:07:28 AM PDT by NYer
Ping!
Rumor has it that there will be no more money involved, regardless of ability to pay or not. And it also looks like procedures and expectations will be very much simplified.
Got to remember that Pope Francis is getting ready to come to America later in the month. The most requests for annulments come from America.
Yes, many of them from Kennedys
This simplification and removal of the financial burden brings the Roman Catholic Church more in line with the long-time practice of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (often described incorrectly on this forum).
Most people are unaware of the Councils of Constantinople 920 and 932 AD
It's hard to avoid the temptation to call him disingenuous in this whole thing.
I'd like to point out one huge flaw in his thinking, among many. The article states:
It's true that a positive intention NEVER to have kids, or to be sexually faithful, present at the time the vows were exchanged, means that a valid marriage never existed from a Catholic point of view. However, procuring an abortion is in no way at all evidence, much less particularly clear proof, that such an intention existed. People give into temptations, especially in difficult circumstances, to do things they know are wrong. That's what sin is. Just because someone gives into the temptation to commit the sin of abortion does not mean that they NEVER want to have kids, or that at the time they exchanged vows they never wanted to have kids, anymore than adultery means they never intended to be faithful.
What he's saying is that if a woman has an abortion after the marriage has been contracted, that is particularly clear proof that she never intended to have children, and that therefore there was no marriage!
Bullsh!t
This is a disastrous example of one of two things—either of Pope Francis' inability to think clearly, or his positive desire to undermine Catholic doctrine. Only God knows which. I am generally opposed to the idea of papal resignations, but in this case I think it would be a good idea. I will now explicitly pray that Pope Francis resign and that his successor be both faithful and competent.
He’s not proclaiming anything and this has nothing to do with doctrine, faith or morals. These are just changes - for better or for worse - to an already existing administrative procedure.
That said, I think it makes the annulment too easy and gives a bad message, but we shall see.
If you can please, do get info about how the Orthodox Churches do it. Thank-you and God Bless.
Can you go more into detail please. Thank-you and God Bless!
It has no effect on the doctrine of infallibility because while the process of annulments, even though it bears on an infallible teaching, is not itself an infallible teaching. Doctrines are infallible, not processes. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that the new process clearly undermines the infallibility of the teaching on marriage, despite what the pope says.
The pope is not prevented from being incompetent in his decisions about how to effectively teach and promote the faith.
The Orthodox churches—they are schismatic, don't forget—allow divorce and remarriage (at least second marriages), and therefore are not proper models of how we as Catholics should handle annulments.
Conservatives counter that in the climate of rising liberal thought, they have been thrust unfairly into a position in which “defending the real teachings of the church makes you look like an enemy of the pope,” a senior Vatican official said on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely.
It's worth the read.
Check out the articled linked above on the growing dissent within the Vatican.
In front of the camera, Burke said he would “resist” liberal changes — and seemed to caution Francis about the limits of his authority. “One must be very attentive regarding the power of the pope,” Burke told the French news crew. Papal power, Burke warned, “is not absolute.” He added, “The pope does not have the power to change teaching [or] doctrine.”
It's worth the read.
I guess the better question is why do you believe it does?
Pope Francis has proven to be remarkably good at talking about synodality and all that stuff, and then doing exactly the opposite. He's been quite effective at marginalizing orthodox bishops and priests, and creating "peripheries" that seem to fall outside the list of acceptable peripheries he wants us to go to.
However good and sincere his intentions, this new process will end in disaster for many souls.
At first I thought there was a silver lining, that at least this would quell calls at the synod to allow the divorced and remarried to receive Communion. But now I realize this is like throwing red meat to hungry wolves. There will be a frenzy of calls to allow them to receive Communion, because, well, this document undermines the very teaching it purports to uphold.
Because he is attempting to change what has been Church doctrine since its inception. And if it hasn’t been, what has been the point of the Church in general in this matter for the past 2000+ years?
“I will now explicitly pray that Pope Francis resign and that his successor be both faithful and competent”.
Annulments to basically be passed out like candy by the Cupichs, Wuerls and Dolans of the Church. And free of charge. Maybe they’ll get a free Francis phone to go along with the quickie “annulment”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.