Making Annulments Easier - Is It Enough?

Pope Francis made headlines again today. While not changing the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and divorce, he has streamlined the annulment process. Now, there doesn’t need to be a review of the first decision by a Diocesan Tribunal and in some cases the Bishop can cut out the Tribunal completely. A step in the right direction? Definitely. But is it enough?

I think of my friend Sally. Sally was a lifelong Catholic, attending mass every Sunday. After getting married and having a child at a young age, Sally and her husband fought often. The stress of finances and their inability to communicate opened their eyes to a bigger issue: they were not a good match for each other. After counseling and much prayer, they decided to end their marriage on the best terms possible. Although divorced, they co-parented their son, both attending functions at his Catholic grade school and volunteering at school activities. Sally’s parish priest encouraged her to get her marriage annulled but she couldn’t see herself ever getting remarried, and navigating the stack of annulment paperwork felt like climbing Mount Everest. Besides, it was all too fresh and painful.

Fifteen years later, much to her surprise, Sally met a man with whom she fell madly in love. After dating for several years, they decided to get married. Her joy quickly dissipated when she talked to the new pastor. He told her that not only could she not be married in her church, but she would not be able to receive communion. Despite being an active parishioner, she no longer felt welcome. Sally left the parish office in tears, never to return. Her second marriage was witnessed by a Justice of the Peace; she no longer attends any church and wonders why the joy in her heart was not considered to be a blessing from God. Would the Pope’s procedural change have made a difference for Sally? Probably not. Will it somehow heal the embarrassment and humiliation she endured in the pastor’s office? Doubtful. Might it impact future Sally’s? Perhaps, but I am not convinced.

The Church needs to heal from the inside out, not just have a band-aide stuck to this gaping wound. A good first step? Definitely. But let’s keep going.