Pope Francis announces reforms to ease marriage annulment process
A new law, issued today from the Vatican in Rome, involves a fast-track process that will be handled directly by bishops.
Pope Francis announced reforms aimed at simplifying and speeding up the Roman Catholic Church's procedure for marriage annulments.
A new law, issued today from the Vatican in Rome, involves a fast-track process that will be handled directly by bishops.
An annulment is a ruling that a marriage is not valid because certain conditions are not being met, such as free choice, psychological maturity and willingness to have children.
The Roman Catholic Church does not recognize divorce.
Currently, annulments are reviewed by a series of Church tribunals that are subsequently referred, in the event of disagreement, to a Vatican court.
Critics say that process is too lengthy and outdated.
