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Author Topic: New Consideration on SSPX Annulments  (Read 2081 times)

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Re: New Consideration on SSPX Annulments
« Reply #20 on: December 22, 2022, 06:11:13 PM »
I have no idea if it has a name. But since traditional priests (including bishops) are not legislators in the Church, and have no proper spiritual authority to bind the faithful to anything, it's the only solution available. However priestly groups want to organize their investigations into marriages is their own business, but one thing they literally cannot do is set up tribunals-- if by tribunal we mean an authoritative body with sufficient power to compel lay behavior and conduct.
Hasn't the SSPX agreed to have marriages co-validated by the NO? Would then, the NO have jurisdiction over SSPX annulment proceedings? I think so. Why would they venture off into this territory when they already have an overseer?

Offline Stubborn

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Re: New Consideration on SSPX Annulments
« Reply #21 on: December 23, 2022, 05:06:06 AM »
I'm prepared to be wrong, but its what I think I think.
I think you, me and everyone here on CI is prepared to be wrong on this as well, but from the few times over the years that I know of that trad priests have talked about (passing mention) the problem they've encountered with some marriages, in the overwhelming vast majority of cases, invalidity is easily and positively ruled out.

IMO, that's the main reason to get them to sign the oath. Because most of the time one or both of the spouses are looking for a way out of their marriage and do not like when the "SSPX tribunal" decides their marriage is valid and they cannot have an annulment. This is the wording reflected within the oath itself.

Again IMO, the SSPX have the canonical resources for the rare or occasional difficult case to actually make a judgement and present that judgement before the spouses proving validity / invalidity one way or the other, according to those resources.

I wonder how many cases are brought before them each year and what their judgements were.


Offline Ladislaus

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Re: New Consideration on SSPX Annulments
« Reply #22 on: December 23, 2022, 07:58:00 AM »
IMO, unless it's a clear cut-and-dry canonical case that a prior marriage was invalid, i.e., baptized Catholics getting "married" in front of a Justice of the Peace, in this time of Crisis, all marriages must be assumed valid, and people have to live with the situation.  Given how very few annulments were granted prior to Vatican II, this accurately reflects the mind of the Church.  Anything that involves "intention" or "psychology" or any of that nonsense ... needs to be ignored and the marriage assumed valid.

Supplied jurisdiction does not cover discernment regarding the validity or invalidity of marriages, and the NO either do not have the authority (if you've an SV) or else simply cannot be trusted to provide the proper discernment.

So, we need to recall that the Church does not annul marriages, but simply renders a verdict that binds consciences.  Who has the authority to do that?  Traditional Catholics don't, and the NO are so reckless that their opinion is smiply not trustworthy.  That's why SSPX is getting into this "vow" business, where the couple bind their own consciences ... but that's also problematic because in reality the couple cannot even bind their own consciences.  To think that a couple can bind their own consciences based on some discernment process is one step away from Amoris Laetitia.

Conversely, however, if a couple go get a decree of nullity from the NO and they believe that the NO have the jurisdiction to bind consciences, I also hold that Trad Catholic clergy to not have the right to refuse them the Sacraments ... as that too entails binding consciences, an authority that they lack.