Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Dili Archdiocese in Timor-Leste has established an ecclesiastical court to handle marriage-related cases including annulments.
Salesian Archbishop Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Silva of Dili along with the Vatican's representative in Timor-Leste, Monsignor Marco Sprizzi, and Justice Minister Tiago Amaral launched the court on April 1 in Dili.
"We hope that there will be a pastoral service that will be beneficial for the good of souls. We believe that the Holy Family of Nazareth is a model for all families to faithfully keep their marriage vows and we can help find a satisfactory solution to the most difficult cases," Bishop Da Silva said.
He said the court was in response to Pope Francis' call for better pastoral care for people facing marriage problems, as stated in the 2015 motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (The Lord Jesus, the Gentle Judge).
In the document, the pope said the marriage annulment process should be made faster, cheaper and more of a pastoral service while still requiring a juridical process to make an accurate assessment.
The pope also stated that he was not promoting the annulment of marriages "but the speed of the process, as well as the true simplicity" of the procedure so that Catholic couples are not "stressed by the shadow of doubt" over a long period.
Bishop Da Silva said that since taking office in 2016 "I have felt the urgency of the Holy Father's demands for pastoral care for people living in this situation, but due to a lack of human resources, we were unable to do so."
Because there was no court, he said, since 2016 they have relied on Indonesia's Atambua Diocese, which is located just across the border, to handle marriage cases.
Father Graciano Barros Santos, the archdiocese's judicial vicar, said: "From now on, the Church has a valid and strong instrument that can assist the Church at any time of need in solving canonical issues regarding marriage. This means better pastoral assistance we can provide to the faithful."
Source: https://www.ucanews.com/news/timor-leste-sets-up-ecclesiastical-court-for-marriages/9675