The Abbreviated Matrimonial Process before the Bishop and Ecclesiastical Divorce in the Orthodox Churches
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31261/EaL.2023.11.1.03Keywords:
Church, Pope Francis, motu proprio, eparchial bishop, marriage, briefer process, divorced and remarriedAbstract
The article presents a critical examination of the abbreviated process before the bishop and ecclesiastical divorce in the Orthodox Churches. The basic point of departure for the analysis is the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia promulgated by Pope Francis. Article 244 in the subsection entitled “Accompaniment after breakdown and divorce” explains Pope Francis’ motivation behind the modifications to the briefer process before the bishop in line with his Apostolic Letter motu proprio Mitis et misericors Iesus. Using a combined method of analysis, synthesis and comparison, the article aims to present a comprehensive theological and judicial view on the abbreviated matrimonial process before the bishop and on the practice of the Orthodox Churches in the process of ecclesiastical divorce. The textual analysis
revealed that the primary reason for the modifications was the length of the process as it posed considerable difficulties and exhausted the parties involved. Pope Francis’ recent documents on the subject have resulted in simplification of the procedures eventually granting the declaration of nullity of marriage. These documents have highlighted a very important component of the Second Vatican Council’s teaching that
the bishop himself, in his local church over which he has been appointed shepherd and head, is at the same time a judge of the faithful entrusted to him. The article also emphasizes that bishops do not delegate the said ministry entrusted to them to other structures within their eparchies but exercise their ministry personally for the salvation of immortal souls.
References
Ambros P.: Rodina — světlo v temnotě světa. Olomouc 2015.
Bianchi P.: “Průběh zkráceného řízení: důkazní a diskusní fáze.” In: Reforma mnaželského procesu podle papeža Františka. Průvodce pro každého. Ed. K. Orlita. Brno 2016, pp. 61—83.
Boumis P. I.: Kánonické právo pravoslávnej cirkvi. Prešov 1997.
Braunsteiner G.: “Milosrdenstvo a/alebo spravodlivosť.” In: Slovo nádeje. Ed. L. Csontos. Trnava 2010, pp. 41—78.
Burke R. L.: “Proces vyhlásenia kánonickej neplatnosti manželstva ako hľadanie pravdy.” In: Vytrvať v Kristovej pravde. Ed. R. Dorado. Kežmarok 2015, pp. 173—195.
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. Latin—English edition. Washington 1995.
Francis: Apostolic Exhortation “Amoris laetitia” of the Holy Father Francis to bishops, priests and deacons, consecrated persons, Christian married couples and all the lay faithful on Love in the Family, https://www.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-Francesco_esortazione_ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf [accessed 15.05.2022].
Francis: Litterae Apostolicae Motu Proprio “Mitis et misericors Iesus” by which the canons of the Code of Canons of Eastern Churches pertaining to cases regarding the nullity of marriage are reformed, https://www.vatican.va/
content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/papa-francesco-motu-proprio_20150815_mitis-et-misericors-iesus.html [accessed 15.05.2022].
Francis: Rescript of his Holiness Pope Francis regarding the implementation and compliance of the new law for marriage annulment procedures, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2015/documents/papa/francesco_20151207_rescritto-processo-matrimoniale.html [accessed 15.05.2022].
Grocholewski Z.: “Cirkevná spravodlivosť a pravda.” In: IUS ET IUSTIA Acta IV. Sympozii iuris canonici anni 1994. Ed. J. Duda. Spišské Podhradie 1995, pp. 9—31.
Giraudo A.: “Rozhodnutí, zda se má záležitost neplatnosti manželství projednávat v řádném, nebo zkráceném řízení.” In: Reforma mnaželského procesu podle papeža Františka. Průvodce pro každého. Ed. K. Orlita. Brno 2016, pp. 83—97.
John Paul II: “Address to Members of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota” [29.01.2005].
Popovič J., Čitbaj F.: Kánonické právo 1. Prešov 2020.
Mankowski P. “Učenie Pána o rozvode a druhom manželstve: biblické údaje.” In: Vytrvať v Kristovej pravde. Ed. R. Dorado. Kežmarok 2015, pp. 29—51.
Martinelli E.: “Divorzio e οἰκονομία nel diritto canonico ortodosso: l’applicazione misericordiosa della legge.” Stato, Chiese e pluralismo confessionale 19 (2017), pp. 1—18, https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/statoechiese/article/view/8507 [accessed 15.05.2022].
Mingardi M.: “Role diecézního biskupa.” In: Reforma mnaželského procesu podle papeža Františka. Průvodce pro každého. Ed. K. Orlita. Brno 2016, pp. 83—97.
Müller L. G.: “Nerozlučiteľnosť manželstva a diskusia o sviatostiach vo vzťahu k rozvedeným a znovu zosobášeným.” In: Vytrvať v Kristovej pravde.Ed. R. Dorado. Kežmarok 2015, pp. 122—135.
Moș, G. D.: “Is ‘sacramental oikonomia’ a coherent and faithful expression of Orthodox ecclesiology and is it useful for its ecumenical vocation? Reflections on some theological conceptions and official statements.” In: Tradiţia canonică și misiunea bisericii. Eds. P. Vlaicu, R. Perșa. Cluj-Napoca 2018, pp. 74—100.
Pastwa A.: “Kanonické paradigma nerozlučitelnosti O vztahu přirozenosti a kultury v katolickém chápání manželství.” Studia theologica 22/2 (2022), pp. 85—90, https://studiatheologica.eu/magno/sth/2020/mn2.php [accessed 15.05.2022].
Rebro K., Blaho P.: Rímske právo. Plzeň 2019.
Rist J. M.: “Rozvod a druhé manželstvo v cirkvi v stredoveku: Historické a kultúrne úvahy.” In: Vytrvať v Kristovej pravde. Ed. R. Dorado. Kežmarok 2015, pp. 52—75.
Salachas D.: Il sacramento del matrimonio nel Nuovo Diritto Canonico delle Chiese orientali. Roma 1994.
Svätý Bazil: Povzbudenie mladým Listy I (R. 357—374). Prešov 1999.
The final report of the synod of bishops to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20151026_relazione-finale-xiv-assemblea_en.html [accessed 24.11.2015].
Thurzo V.: “Otázka použitia ikonomieae a epikie ako nástrojov milosrdenstva pre civilne rozvedených a znovuzosobášených.” Acta 1 (2016), pp. 70—78. fileadmin/rkcmbf/casopis_acta/ACTA-2016_1-extrakt.pdf [accessed 15.05.2022].
Vasiľ C.: “Odlúčenie, rozviazanie manželského zväzku, rozvod a nový sobáš. Teologický a praktický postoj pravoslávnych cirkvi — otázky a odpovede pre katolícku prax.” In: Vytrvať v Kristovej pravde. Ed. R. Dorado. Kežmarok 2015, pp. 76—105.
Святогорец Н.: “Пидалион.” Правила православной церкви с толкованиями, том. 1 [The Rules of the Orthodox Church with interpretations], Прaвила святых апостолов [The Rules of the Holy Apostles]. Екатеринбург 2019.
Святогорец Н.: “Пидалион.” Правила православной церкви с толкованиями, том. 2 [The Rules of the Orthodox Church with interpretations], Правила Вселенских соборов [The Rules of the Ecumenical Councils]. Екатеринбург 2019.
Святогорец Н.: “Пидалион.” Правила православной церкви с толкованиями, том. 3 [The Rules of the Orthodox Church with interpretations], Правила Поместных Соборов [The Rules of the Local Councils], Екатеринбург 2019.
Святогорец Н.: “Пидалион.” Правила православной церкви с толкованиями, том. 4 [The Rules of the Orthodox Church with interpretations], Правила Святых отцов [The Rules of the Holy Fathers]. Екатеринбург 2019.
Развод по — христиански, https://www.pravmir.ru/razvod-po-xristianski/ [accessed 15.05.2022].
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The Copyright Owners of the submitted texts grant the Reader the right to use the pdf documents under the provisions of the Creative Commons 4.0 International License: Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY SA). The user can copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose.
1. License
The University of Silesia Press provides immediate open access to journal’s content under the Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Authors who publish with this journal retain all copyrights and agree to the terms of the above-mentioned CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
2. Author’s Warranties
The author warrants that the article is original, written by stated author/s, has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright that is vested exclusively in the author and free of any third party rights, and that any necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author/s.
If the article contains illustrative material (drawings, photos, graphs, maps), the author declares that the said works are of his authorship, they do not infringe the rights of the third party (including personal rights, i.a. the authorization to reproduce physical likeness) and the author holds exclusive proprietary copyrights. The author publishes the above works as part of the article under the licence "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International".
ATTENTION! When the legal situation of the illustrative material has not been determined and the necessary consent has not been granted by the proprietary copyrights holders, the submitted material will not be accepted for editorial process. At the same time the author takes full responsibility for providing false data (this also regards covering the costs incurred by the University of Silesia Press and financial claims of the third party).
3. User Rights
Under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, the users are free to share (copy, distribute and transmit the contribution) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) the article for any purpose, provided they attribute the contribution in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
4. Co-Authorship
If the article was prepared jointly with other authors, the signatory of this form warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to sign this agreement on their behalf, and agrees to inform his/her co-authors of the terms of this agreement.
I hereby declare that in the event of withdrawal of the text from the publishing process or submitting it to another publisher without agreement from the editorial office, I agree to cover all costs incurred by the University of Silesia in connection with my application.
