CBCP clarifies church’s teaching on indissolubility and unity of marriage

MANILA (PNA) -- The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has clarified that the church’s teaching on indissolubility and unity of marriage stays despite the recent modifications in the trial of marriage cases. The teaching about the indissolubility and unity of marriage remains. The declaration of nullity of marriages is not divorce,” said CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas in a statement.Although the Pope has decided to simplify and speed up the process for the declaration of marriages null and void from the beginning, he noted that the doctrine about the sacredness of marriage and family life remains unchanged.”Villegas issued the statement in connection with the Pontiff’s decision streamlining church’s procedure for marital nullity while affirming the longstanding Catholic teaching on marriage indissolubility. The process has been simplified and dramatically shortened,” the Lingayen-Dagupan prelate said.He believes that in coming up with reforms, Pope Francis wants to reach out tenderly” to those who suffer from invalid marriages. The services of the church must be more accessible to the people the process to receive those blessings of new peace for those who have suffered long, must be simplified,” Villegas said.In the country, each diocese is mandated to have marriage courts with the bishop as the symbol of Christ, the Law giver and Judge.”Meanwhile, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz anticipates the number of people who would seek marriage nullity to increase. I will predict that if the requirements are lesser, there will be more who will try to really seek a marriage nullity, especially if they are already separated, he said.The CBCP National Appellate Matrimonial Tribunal (NAMT) head said that if before the number of marriage nullity cases was averaging from 50 to 60 per year, he expects the number to be more than that. A case always begins in the first instance in the diocese. If the judges say it's null and void, it must be sent to the CBCP-NAMT for review. If the CBCP-NAMT agrees with the first instance, it's done. The marriage is effectively declared null and void. Supposing the Court of Appeals says no, then it goes to Rome. That takes a lot of time, Cruz explained.He added that a case usually takes more than a year to be resolved, except for some cases which can easily be resolved, such as if the couple later realize that they are first cousins, among other causes.Since January, there are already 40 cases lodged at the NAMT.The former CBCP president added that the filing fee is usually around PhP10,000. There is a fee because you need to pay the staff, there are paper works and so on, said Cruz, adding, But if the petitioner cannot pay, the parish priest who knows the petitioner, writes the judge so that the stipend is brought down to zero. (PNA)