Pope Francis established a commission to evaluate how the Church in Italy is implementing the reform of the marriage annulment process that he introduced in 2015 on this Friday.
This pontifical commission has been established with an apostolic letter motu proprio in which it explains that it takes the step of “directly supporting the Churches that are in Italy in receiving the reform of the canonical process for cases of declaration of the nullity of marriage, giving a new impetus to the application of the motu proprio Mitis Iudex ”.
A declaration of nullity often referred to as an “annulment,” is the decision of a court that a marriage did not meet the conditions required to be valid under Church law.
Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (“The Peaceable Judge, Our Lord Jesus”), issued in 2015, made changes to canon law to simplify the process by which ecclesiastical courts evaluate requests for a declaration of nullity of marriages. The text also emphasized the role of the local bishop.
The task of the commission will be “to know and verify the full and immediate application of the reform of the marriage annulment process, ” the Pope said. The commission will be presided over by Bishop Alejandro Arellano Cedillo, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, which is the highest instance of the Apostolic See.
Pope Francis asked the new commission to suggest “whatever is deemed appropriate and necessary to support and help the fruitful continuation of the reform.” It will conclude with the preparation of a “detailed report” on the situation in Italy.