Bishop Anthony B. Taylor issued this statement Sept. 10 on the recent changes announced for the marriage annulment process.
Two days ago Pope Francis modified the procedures to be followed in handling the cases of people seeking a declaration of invalidity of a previous marriage, commonly known as an annulment. This motu proprio, Mitis Judex Dominus Iesus, reinforces the truth that a valid marriage is permanent and indissoluble, while at the same time noting that when a marriage fails, there may have been something lacking from the very beginning that was necessary for validity. If this can be proven, the previous marriage can be declared as null and the parties can be declared free to marry. The procedures followed to make this determination have changed over time and now Pope Francis has made significant changes designed to remove obstacles that have sometimes made this process more difficult than necessary. The changes that will have the most direct impact are as follows:
Please note that these changes go into effect on Dec. 8, 2015, with the beginning of the great Jubilee Year of Mercy.
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