Catholic Divorce – Canonical critiques of annulment reform are piling up: Will the Vatican, the bishops, and the Francis “Amen corner” listen?
Something is definitely in the air: Prominent canonists initially lauding the marriage nullity reforms, then backtracking, then public coming out strongly against these, and very real talk of discontent among a significant number of canon lawyers and prelates. And we’re not talking about traditionalists here! The Pope’s arbitrary and highly problematic reforms of the process for declaring marriage nullity, worked out with no widespread consultations and in relative secrecy and published on September 8 through the motu proprio Mitis Iudex, is fast turning into an unprecedented crisis of authority for his rule. The crisis of authority is real and no amount of denial and snubbing by the Catholic media establishment and by “respectable” Catholic bloggers can hide it. In the…Continue Reading