Why Is Pope Francis Tinkering With The Annulment Process?

Recently, the Office of the Holy See announced that Pope Francis has ordered a review of the Church-wide annulment process as part of the upcoming synod on the family and marriage. This has many people upset for a variety of reasons. Coupled with the criticism of his recent officiation at the collective wedding of 20 couples—some of whom had previously cohabitated and one who had a child out of wedlock—and the discussion over whether or not it is time to allow Catholics who have divorced and remarried without an annulment receive the Eucharist, the Holy Father has many of his flock shaking their heads with disdain.

But I don't really think we need to be upset. When the news hits the stands, it's important to do two things and both are equally important. First, we need to make sure the news we are paying attention to is from trusted, verified sources and then, we need to look at Pope Francis' words and actions and compare them with Jesus'. In essence, ask ourselves, "Is this what Jesus would do?"

Let's tackle the news sources first. We all know the secular media editorializes the news in not-so-subtle ways, but can you detect the more subtle nuances? For example, Reuters' reports the Holy Father's recent announcement as fact, but tacks on that this was "a move that could make it easier for Catholics to end marriages" to the end of the sentence. That was not part of the announcement and it seems to be a deliberate attempt to stir up controversy.

Similarly, Religion News Service writes: "Pope Francis has appointed a special commission to look at ways to make it easier for Roman Catholics to dissolve their marriages in the eyes of the church." There you have it. A spin on the original spin. Just because they say it, doesn't make it true. Roman Catholics cannot dissolve their marriages but floating that idea out there causes great confusion and doubt. If you read both articles, the authors will eventually get to some factual reporting, but promoting doubt and causing scandal always seems to come first.

If you want to know what the Pope really said or did, try getting your news from Radio Vaticana, EWTN's Nightly News, The World Over, or the National Catholic Register to start with. You can even visit the Vatican's website itself and read their news reports.

The Holy See Press Office states that, in regard to the annulment process, the Pope is "seeking to simplify and streamline it while safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of marriage." There is nothing heretical or against Catholic doctrine in that statement. And having been through the annulment process, myself, and having helped many men and women with their own, I think it is a valid conversation to have.

Some streamlining has already taken place with most, if not all US tribunals posting downloadable forms and annulment FAQ's on their websites. But some dioceses require a petitioner to wait one year after their divorce is final to file for an annulment, some don't. Some dioceses conduct a personal interview between a canon lawyer and the petitioner, some don't. Some dioceses allow the respondent to review the petitioner's answers to the questionnaire, others don't. Some dioceses charge fees on a sliding scale, some don't. In fact, we've just seen a few diocese drop their fees altogether. So streamlining the process as it pertains to things like these that cause people confusion is not a bad thing, especially since the goal is to "safeguard the indissolubility of marriage."

So now, let's compare Pope Francis' actions to Jesus'. Personally, I think the mere fact that he is opening so many discussions about moral issues among the faithful is a good sign, a sign that the Church truly is sensitive and in touch with what her members' day-to-day lives are like.

If you read and reflect upon the gospel of John 8:1-11 where he is confronted by the crowd who wants to stone a woman caught in adultery, it's easy to find similarities between what the Pope is doing and Jesus' actions with this woman. When challenged by the Pharisees, Jesus didn't crack the gavel and block shouting "condemned!" Instead, he gave those who condemned her food for thought. "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." He did not excuse her actions, in fact, Jesus admonished her to stop her evil ways and sin no more. But with the crowd, he started a conversation—an interior conversation in their hearts and one that I believe Pope Francis is continuing today.

Does this mean we cannot recognize sin and warn others against it? Of course not, we are obligated to do so. But the goal is to do so with the good of the other person in mind. Contrary to what some believe, not all divorced Catholics have committed a grave sin by being divorced. Many were forced into it. My point simply is, we need to treat those in question with love, respect and dignity.

So, is the Pope tinkering with the annulment process in a bad way? No. But I believe his goal is to bring alienated Catholics home by starting this conversation.

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