Doctrine History and How Change Occurs

Transcription

1 Doctrine History and How Change Occurs Team Members: Jeff Hitz, Lisa Thorn, Chad Archer, Roshny Archer, Jim Azzarello, Rosemary Bertok, Paula Mikula, Angie Sevilla, Dan Tokarz. Leadership Committee Sponsor: Bernie Schaeffer Advisor: Father George Kane 1

2 Roman Catholic Theology Roman Catholic theology comprises the teachings of the Catholic Church which bases its conclusions on Scripture, Divine Revelation, and Sacred Tradition, as interpreted by the Magisterium (teaching authority of The Church). Church belief is encapsulated in the Nicene Creed and the Apostle's Creed, and detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2

3 Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father the Almighty, Maker of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen 3

4 Doctrine History and How Change Occurs Agenda 1. Introduction/Prayer (Lisa Thorn) 2. Current Doctrine and Teaching (Dan Tokarz and Rosemary Bertok) 3. What informs Doctrine and Teachings? ( Jim Azzarello) 4. Role of the Congregation of Faith and the US Conference of Bishops in clarifying the church s teachings (Paula Mikula) 5. Focusing on the past, how change comes about in the church (Chad/Roshny Archer) 6. Vatican II (Angie Sevilla) 7. Role of Laity in the Church (Chad/Roshny Archer) 8. Influence of Social Justice/Awareness in change (Paula Mikula/Rosemary Bertok) 9. Open Panel Discussion (Facilitator Lisa Thorn/All) 4

5 Catholic Theology Current Doctrine and Teaching Dan Tokarz and Rosemary Bertok Human Sexuality Our sexuality is a gift from God God created man and woman, and they cooperate with Him in the transmission of life by mutual donation of the self to the other which is considered natural law. 1 The union of male and female to create new life is natural and sacred 2335 Each of the two sexes is an image of the power and tenderness of God, with equal dignity though in a different way. The union of man and woman in marriage is a way of imitating in the flesh the Creator's generosity and fecundity:..all human generations proceed from this union Sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman. In marriage the physical intimacy of the spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual communion. Marriage bonds between baptized persons are sanctified by the sacrament. 2 Definition of Chastity The virtue that moderates the desire for sexual pleasure according to the principles of faith and right reason. In married people, chastity moderates the desire in conformity with their state of life; in unmarried people who wish to marry, the desire is moderated by abstention until (or unless) they get married; in those who resolve not to marry, the desire is sacrificed entirely. Chastity and purity, modesty and decency are comparable in that they have the basic meaning of freedom from whatever is lewd or salacious. Yet they also differ. Chastity implies an opposition to the immoral in the sense of lustful or licentious. It suggests refraining from all acts or thoughts that are not in accordance with the Church's teaching about the use of one's reproductive powers. It particularly stresses restraint and an avoidance of anything that might defile or make unclean the soul because the body has not been controlled in the exercise of its most imperious passion. (Etym. Latin castus, morally pure, unstained.) 5

6 Catholic Theology Current Doctrine and Teaching Homosexual Tendencies Not ordered toward natural law but not explicitly sinful so homosexuals are to be treated with dignity and respect 2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. 2 The church is against discrimination of homosexuals. They should bear the cross of self-denial, lead a chaste life, and utilize the Sacrament of Penance. They have a Godgiven dignity and worth. Pastoral care of homosexuals is encouraged. 1 Homosexual Acts In complete conflict with natural law and strictly prohibited 2357 Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. 2 For according to the objective moral order, homosexual relations are acts which lack an essential and indispensable finality. 4

7 What Informs Doctrine and Teaching? " sacred Tradition, sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church Jim Azzarello I. Desire to Do the Will of God 1st principle of Doctrine and teaching 7

8 What Informs Doctrine and Teaching? " sacred Tradition, sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church II. Scripture 1. Old Testament a) Theology of Creation b) Homosexual sexual behavior is a sin against marriage is an abomination is punishable by death 2. New Testament a) Homosexual behavior is unnatural and shameful b) Practicing homosexuality forfeits inheritance of the Kingdom c) Tendencies are to be met with self-sacrifice and self control d) Call to compassion x -and- Call to conversion 8

9 What Informs Doctrine and Teaching? " sacred Tradition, sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the Church III. Ecclesiastical tradition & the Magisterium Through Apostolic succession the Magisterium alone are responsible for interpretation of the Word of God, which should be received with docility. 1. Early theologians and doctors of the Church 2. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to maintain and defend the integrity of the faith and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines 1975 Prompted by general moral decline and social relativism 1986 Prompted once again by public debate 2003 Addressed proposed legal unions between homosexuals 3. Catechism of the Catholic Church Written summary of the traditions & teachings of the faith. 9

10 CHURCH OVERSIGHT THE ROLE OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE FAITH (CDF) IN DEFINING AND/OR CLARIFYING DOCTRINE Paula Mikula BRIEF HISTORY AND TIMELINE: Established 1542 as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition. Task was to maintain and defend the integrity of the faith and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines. Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was appointed Prefect 11/25/1981 and remained Prefect until 4/2/2005 In 1988 Pope John Paul II reaffirms the authority of the CDF as The proper duty of the CDF is to promote and safeguard the doctrine on faith and morals in the whole Catholic world: so it has competence in things that touch this matter in any way. 10

11 CHURCH OVERSIGHT THE ROLE OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE FAITH (CDF) IN DEFINING AND/OR CLARIFYING DOCTRINE In 2001 Pope John Paul II issued Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela by which are promulgated the Norms concerning the more grave delicts reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, expressing that is was necessary to define more precisely both the more grave delicts whether against morals or committed in the celebration of the sacraments for which the competence of the CDF remains exclusive and the special procedural norms for declaring or imposing canonical sanctions. ROLE: Investigations into what are known as the delicta graviora, crimes which the Catholic Church consider to be the most serious of all including crimes against the sixth Commandment, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery 11

12 CHURCH OVERSIGHT THE ROLE OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE FAITH (CDF) IN DEFINING AND/OR CLARIFYING DOCTRINE ORGANIZATION: Congregation has a membership of the Prefect, 25 or so cardinals, smaller number of non-cardinal bishops, a staff of 38 or so priests, religious lay men and women and 26 or so consulters. Work is divided into 4 sections: the doctrinal, disciplinary, matrimonial and clerical offices. Work includes notifications and censoring Catholic theologians (e.g., Hans Kung, Charles Curran, Sister Jeannine Gramick, Fr Gary Meier,and Leonardo Boff) that it judges contrary to Church doctrine. 12

13 Change in the Catholic Church Historical Perspectives And How Change Happens (Chad/Roshny Archer) 13

14 Change Does Happen First Council of Jerusalem (50 AD): Acts 15, Galatians 2 Gentiles not required to be circumcised Sacrament of Reconciliation Public to private Sacrament of Baptism Adult to infant Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick Last Rites to Healing Aspects Sacrament of Eucharist Age 12 to age 7 Sacrament of Confirmation Now, generally separate from Baptism (Editorial: All of these changes appear to make sacraments more accessible and inclusive, not less.) 14

15 Eastern Councils First Council of Nicaea (325) - defined Consubstantiality of Son with the Father First Council of Constantinople (381) defined Consubstantiality of Son with Father and Holy Spirit First Council of Ephesus (431) Dogma of Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of God, Christ has two natures (divine and human) Council of Chalcedon (451) See of Peter in Rome is and always shall be Seat of Primacy Second Council of Constantinople (553) Condemned heresies Third Council of Constantinople ( ) - Pope Leo II takes Pope Honorius I to task Second Council of Nicaea (787) Heresy of Iconoclasm condemned Fourth Council of Constantinople ( ) Photius condemned as heretic (among other things, for criticizing priestly celibacy) 15

16 Western Councils Lateran I (1123) Confirmed Concordat of Worms Lateran II (1139) Necessary due to Papal schism Lateran III (1179) - 2/3s majority of College of Cardinals, in sacred conclave, to elect Pope Lateran IV (1215) Pope Innocent II defined ex cathedra that There is but one Universal Church, outside of which there is no salvation. Transubstantiation defined. Lyons I (1245) Reinforced excommunication of Frederick II Lyons II (1274) Attempt to reunite with Eastern church, but schism grew wider after it was reaffirmed that the Holy Ghost proceeds from both the Father and the Son Vienne ( ) Various heresies condemned Constance ( ) Great Schism ended, struggle between papal and conciliar power begins Florence ( ) Papal authority still trumps conciliar power. Lateran V ( ) - Luther s Theses posted October 31,

17 Western Councils Trent ( ) - Condemned Protestantism, Counter-reformation, Roman Missal reformed, dogmatic and reformatory decrees on Holy Eucharist, Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Sacraments, and reinstated Catholic traditions Vatican I ( ) - Defined Infallibility Vatican II ( ) - Pastoral, not dogmatic in nature 17

18 The Role of Vatican Congregations and Councils LITURGICAL CHANGES WITH VATICAN II (Angie Sevilla) 18

19 The World s and 1960 s Rebuilding after WW II led to economic boom Advances in technology & science nuclear weapons, space exploration Spread of communism and the Cold War Urbanization - migration from rural areas to cities Unprecedented population growth rate 19

20 The World s and 1960 s Rising challenge to accepted beliefs and values Protests against war, racism, sexual behavior and authority Expansion of personal rights and freedom Rise of the automobile, a symbol of individual freedom 20

21 Pope John XXIII The Agent for Change Elected in Oct 1958 at age 77 as a transitional pope, not a groundbreaker Unexpectedly called for second Vatican Council in January 1959 It was time to open the windows and let in some fresh air Goal was aggiornamento or renewal in view of a rapidly changing world 21

22 Pope John XXIII -The Agent for Change Opening address at Vatican II in Oct 1962: The Church should never depart from the sacred treasure of truth inherited from the Fathers. But at the same time she must ever look to the present, to the new conditions and the new forms of life introduced into the modern world. 22

23 LITURGICAL RENEWAL WITH VATICAN II Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, the first of 16 documents, laid basis for liturgical reforms The Mass as source and summit of Christian life Encouraged the full, conscious and active participation of all in the Eucharistic celebration. 23

24 Liturgical Changes BEFORE VATICAN II AFTER VATICAN II Mass and music in Latin Latin mass largely read from missal issued in 1570 from Council of Trent Priest has back to the congregation Priest said mass for the people People as passive spectators One epistle from New Testament Mass and music in local languages Large volume of new music written Inclusion of cultural traditions into liturgy Priest faces the congregation Priest celebrates Eucharist w/ the people Active participation of people Readings from Old and New Testaments with responsorial psalm in between Sign of peace between Our Father and Lamb of God 24

25 BEFORE VATICAN II Eucharist in bread only Fast from midnight for communion Communion received at communion rail Priesthood candidates only as lectors Consecration and Communion was focus Sacraments as private rituals Adult baptism thru private instruction and baptism Individual confession AFTER VATICAN II Eucharist in both bread and wine Fast 1 hour before communion Communion received while standing Laity as lectors and Eucharistic ministers Ushers as ministers of hospitality and welcoming Whole mass as opportunity to partake in the Paschal Mystery Sacraments as community events RCIA involves sponsors, catechists and entire parish. Sacraments of initiation celebrated during Easter Vigil. Communal penance service 25

26 Where we are today Opposing views of Vatican II: went too far vs did not go far enough Imperfect implementation of changes Return of Latin mass at discretion of pastor Collegiality and collaboration in the wane Declining number of priests Participatory mode of church life increased lay involvement in ministry Remarkable number of lay people studying scripture and theology Growth of church in Africa and parts of Asia Openness and dialogue with other religions 26

27 Summation of Councils Ecumenical councils deal primarily with defining and defending the faith Can be a catalyst for major (weighty) changes Held infrequently (21 in ~2000 years) 27

28 Synod of Bishops Established September 15, 1965 Not for collegial governance, but for collaboration with Pope. Makes recommendations, but does not settle questions or issue decrees Three Types: Ordinary Assemblies Episcopal conference suggest themes and elect participants; Secretariat recommends themes to Pope, who selects topic and creates agenda Extraordinary general assemblies Less preparation and fewer participants than Ordinary Assembly. Special Assemblies Limited to a certain geographic area and participants from that area. 28

29 Synod of Bishops HISTORY 1967 Ordinary General I: Preserving and Strengthening the Catholic Faith 1969 Extraordinary General: Cooperation between the Holy See and the Episcopal Conferences 1971 Ordinary General II: The Ministerial Priesthood and Justice in the World 1974 Ordinary General III: Evangelization in the Modern World 1977 Ordinary General IV: Catechesis in Our Time 1980 Special: Netherlands 1980 Ordinary General V: The Christian Family (Familiaris consortio) 1983 Ordinary General VI: Penance & Reconciliation in the Mission of the Church 29

30 Synod of Bishops HISTORY (Cont) 1985 Extraordinary General: Twentieth Anniversary of the Conclusion of the Second Vatican Council 1987 Ordinary General VII: The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World 1990 Ordinary General VIII: The Formation of Priests in the Circumstances of the Present Day 1991 Special: Europe 1994 Special: Africa 1994 Ordinary General IX: The Consecrated Life and its Role in the Church and in the World 30

31 HISTORY (Cont) 1995 Special: Lebanon 1997 Special: America 1998 Special: Asia 1999 Special: Oceania 1999 Special: Europe Synod of Bishops 2001 Ordinary General X: The Bishop: Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World 2005 Ordinary General XI: The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church Ordinary General XII: The Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church 2009 Special: Africa 2010 Special: Middle East 31

32 Synod of Bishops HISTORY (Cont) 2012 Ordinary General XIII: The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith 2014 Extraordinary General: The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization October 4-25, 2015 Ordinary General XIV: The Vocation and the Mission of the Family in the Church and in the Contemporary World 32

33 Summation of Synod of Bishops Don t think of Synods like the House and Senate. They are not a governing body. Great opportunity to lend voice to issues IF they aren t stacked. The usual result is a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation (not as authoritative as Papal Encyclical, but higher than other ecclesiastical letters and Papal writings) 33

34 We Love the Pope!! who am I to judge? Why doesn t Pope Francis just unilaterally make a change or pronouncement? Pope Francis Throws Right Bats Right Batting Average

35 Can Pope change laws? Are there limitations? A. Yes B. No C. Maybe D. It Depends 35

36 A. Yes. Papal Infallibility. Scripture: Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church; to you I give the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven. History: From the earliest of times bishops of Rome acted is they had special authority and rest of Church accepted. Vatican I precisely defined infallibility to clarify confusion. When the Pope: 1. intends to teach 2. by virtue of his supreme authority 3. on a matter of faith and morals 4. to the whole Church He is preserved by the Holy Spirit from error. Examples: Immaculate Conception of Mary (Pope Pius IX, 1854) and Assumption of Mary (Pope Pius XII, 1950) 36

37 B. No. Divine / Natural Laws If God Himself established them, the Church is bound to observe them at all times. Has origins in the words of Christ. No Church authority has power to change this integral part of law Natural Laws has a biological basis, and since biological laws ultimately came from God, the Creator of this, they amount to divine laws as well Canon Child may never marry his parent 37

38 C. Maybe. Ecclesiastical Law Ecclesiastical laws are man made Example - Canon n.3 In order to become a bishop, a priest must be at least 35 years old Pope can grant dispensation from canon laws In areas where the Church is enduring political persecution, it may be necessary to select a bishop under the age of 35 Ordination of Women In his 1994 Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Pope John Paul II stated in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church s faithful. Effectively, this asserts the matter as divine law. 38

39 D. It Depends CCC 2357 homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered (142). They are contrary to natural law. Persona humana VIII At the present time. (Does this allude to our understanding changing over time?) First Category Tendency is transitory Second Category Tendency is so natural that it justifies a sincere communion of life and love analogous to marriage Homosexual relations are acts which lack an essential and indispensable finality. (I believe this means procreation is not possible. What about for heterosexual couples where procreation is also not possible? Older people?) What happens to canon law as our knowledge of the natural world and biology evolves? 39

40 The Role of Vatican Congregations and Councils Pontifical Council for the Laity and Pontifical Council for the Family appear most relevant Vatican works more with global movements Regional Conferences (i.e. USCCB) should have similar offices. Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Mandate Committee Membership includes Most Rev. George Rassas, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago Archdiocese may also have a corresponding department Family Ministries Office for Lay Ecclesial Ministry 40

41 Change and Graduality At one level, gradualism is no more than the common sense observation that virtues such as honesty and courage aren t all-or-nothing propositions, and that people move towards them through stages and at different speeds. It implies that just because someone s current situation falls short of perfection doesn t mean it has no moral value, and it s often better to encourage the positive elements in someone s life rather than to chastise their flaws. The last time the Vatican staged a Synod of Bishops on the family, which was almost 35 years ago in 1980, talk about gradualism was in the air, too. Pope John Paul II was sufficiently concerned about where it might lead that he included a warning in a homily he gave for the closing Mass of the synod, a line he then also dropped into the meeting s concluding document, Familiaris Consortio. What is known as the law of gradualness, John Paul said, cannot be identified with gradualness of the law. The gist was there s just one set of rules for everybody, and they re not going to change. 41

42 No change in doctrine from synod, say bishops by Jesuit Fr. Thomas J. Reese Excerpt: The problem with most of the bishops is that they were taught in seminaries where the classical approach to theology was supreme and Lonergan was considered a heretic. This problem is not going to go away because more recent crops of priests were trained in seminaries that were stripped of non-classical theologians during the papacy of John Paul II. As a result, the only way the synod is going to change anything is for the bishops to first convince themselves that they are not changing doctrine, only the way they are expressing it. Any announcement must begin with "As the church has always taught... " 42

43 How Lay People Change the Church 43

44 Role of Laity in the Church History: Early America: many lay associations to help immigrants seek a foothold in society 1943: Pope Pius XII- Encyclical Mystici Corporis- laypeople "ought to be the church, not just belong to the church 1950 s: Christian Family Movement (Crowleys)- focus on Christian social action in the world. Movement grew to intl proportions (50,000 couples). Observe, judge, act model- strong followership Fought for change on the contraception issue, Pope Paul VI removed from discussion encyclical Humanae Vitae- backlash that led some Catholics to leave the church 44

45 Role of Laity in the Church 1958: Laity mentioned in Vatican II- Sancrosanctum Concilium- called for reform of the liturgy to promote the "full and active participation" by the entire assembly Apostolicam Actuositatem- called the laity to discern the gifts given to them in baptism and to use them in service of the Church's mission. Lumen Gentium- reaffirmed the hierarchical structure of the Church and called the laity to accept the decisions of their pastors and bishops with "Christian obedience." After Vatican II, laypeople became more inclined to give voice to their desires for and disappointments with the Church Pope expressed concern about the "clericalization" of the laity and stressed that the primary mission of the laity is to evangelize the secular realms of culture, politics, and economics 45

46 Role of Laity in the Church American Bishops Leverage Vatican II to Drive Change 1970 s- Parish councils created: Lay people encouraged to provide input to staff decisions, finances, etc. (not doctrine, morals, etc.) U.S. Bishops Call to Action Conference in Detroit Delegates approved resolutions calling for re-evaluations of the church's teaching on birth control, clerical celibacy, homosexuality, and women's ordination. Feeling from the Church that the conference went too far. CTA now focuses on LGBTQ- more liberal organization while Church got more conservative- tough to find common ground National Center on the Laity (NCL) Called laity to bring their faith into the places where they lived and worked Church had concern that heart of Vatican II was being lost- not necessarily about being in service to the world 46

47 Role of Laity in the Church American Bishops Leverage Vatican II to Drive Change bishops' first major document on the laity published, Called and Gifted: Called the laity to a faith that expressed itself in service to the Church and to the world (focus on lay ministries/ ministry fairs, etc.) New Organizations Form Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) "Keep the faith, change the Church. Created in response to sexual abuse scandal Supports victims, made proposals for structural reforms without changes in Church teaching Urged bishops to consider ordaining women Recently proposed a set of reforms for increasing lay input in the selection of bishops Membership waned through financial crisis- lost momentum 47

48 Role of Laity in the Church Challenges the Laity Face (Theologian Richard Gaillardetz): Problem is in thinking of the realms of Church" and "world" as mutually exclusive, with the ordained focused on the former and the laity focused on the latter. All the baptized, lay and ordained, are called to share in their baptismal vocation to be disciples to the world, and it's a mistake to think of liturgical ministries as churchy' ministries distinct from the Church's mission in the world. We might benefit from studying growing churches in Africa and Asia» They don t raise the issue of the laity as central» More concerned with responding to pressing social questions, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS, genocide, and abject poverty (issues which call for a response from the whole Church, lay and ordained) 48

49 Biological Evidence of Homosexuality Rosemary Bertok 1. Study of the hypothalamus of human brains found a cell group termed INAH3 was more than twice as large in men and it was in women. INAH3 also turned out to be two or three times larger in straight men than it was in gay men. 2. Family trees of male sexual orientation show the rates of homosexuality in maternally related males. Rates in paternal relatives were not significantly above the average population rate of two percent. This finding raised the possibility of involvement of the X chromosome. Males have two sex chromosomes, a Y inherited from the father and an X from the mother. Thus, a trait inherited through the mother s side might logically be influenced by a gene on one of her X chromosomes. In fact, further experiments showed that one small area at the tip of the X chromosome Xq28 was shared by a large percentage of gay brothers. 3. Pinpointing genes shared by gay brothers first involved taking DNA from subjects. Several billion copies of specific regions of the X chromosome were then made using the polymerase chain reaction, and the different fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis. Gay brothers shared a marker, in this hypothetical example CA11, in the Xq28 region at rates far greater than predicted by chance. 4. The study provides the strongest evidence as of the date of the study that human sexuality is influenced by heredity because it directly examines the genetic information, the DNA. 49

50 EXAMPLE OF CHANGE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PROCESS OF ANNULMENT (Paula Mikula) The increase, per Dr. Edward Peters of Canonlaw.info can be attributed to several factors as follows: A 1969 change in canonical procedure allowing an annulment petition to be filed in the diocese where the respondent lives rather than the diocese where the wedding was celebrated. Canonical procedure change allowing a single judge to hear a case rather than three judges. Elimination of caps on the number of qualified judges allowed to serve in a diocese. Allowing guilty spouses to seek an annulment Allowing non-catholics to file cases Elimination of archaic regulations on the type of evidence allowed and the number of witnesses needed Shortening time limits for speedier treatment of marriage cases 50

51 EXAMPLE OF CHANGE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PROCESS OF ANNULMENT In 1983, a single new norm on marriage consent, one of the grounds for marriage annulment in the Catholic Church, Canon 1095 of the 1983 revised Code, was adopted. Of the 20 possible grounds upon which a marriage case can be heard, more petitions are judged on the basis of Canon 1095 than all other combined (3). Canon 1095 is the single canon allowing tribunals to address the canonical impact of mental, emotional, personal, psychological, psychiatric and chemical trauma affecting marriage. Canon 1095 also recognizes personal maturity and individual integrity in a marriage. 51