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Pope Changes Catholic Annulment Process

SCRANTON — Pope Francis announced drastic changes on Tuesday that will impact divorced Catholics seeking an annulment. An annulment is required to remarry...
pope divorce

SCRANTON -- Pope Francis announced drastic changes on Tuesday that will impact divorced Catholics seeking an annulment.

An annulment is required to remarry in the church and fully take part in the sacraments.

The pope revised the process to make it quicker and cheaper.

We talked with Catholics in the Diocese of Scranton about the changes that go into effect December 8.

Pope Francis said "charity and mercy" demand that the Catholic Church make it easier for divorced Catholics who feel separated from the church to find a way to return.

Now Catholics who wish to have their marriages annulled will be able to get it done quicker and cheaper, if they have the proper reasons.

"We really admire this pope. I think he's a pope of the people and he understands what today's society is all about," said Helene O'Malley of Scranton.

"My opinion about the Catholic religion is that once you marry, it's for better or for worse, till death do you part, and you've got to maintain that," said Lou Michaels of Swoyersville.

As with any change in a church steeped in centuries of tradition, there are mixed opinions about the change, including from Catholics we talked with in the Diocese of Scranton.

The change would make annulments free except for some fees and require they be done in 45 days, a big change from what can be thousands of dollars and take years.

"I think he's wonderful," said Josephine Pricci. "He really has his eyes on the people."

Pricci had a relative experience the challenges of Catholic divorce.

"My aunt was divorced years ago when I was a little girl and she was a good mother and good wife and a good Catholic and she suffered for years. She couldn't get the sacraments."

There are some people we talked with who say sharing their experience with divorce or annulment is a little too personal to be on the news, but they say they're thrilled the pope is understanding of their challenges.

The pope's documents say this is not diminishing the sanctity of marriage or the, "indissolubility of the marriage bond," but the pope said the church rules and laws should have one purpose: "salvation of souls."

"The sanctity of marriage is sacred, obviously, but indeed there are issues that come up that cannot be resolved," said O'Malley.

The pope's announcement comes only weeks before he comes to the United States. The U.S. accounts for half of all annulments granted by the Church.

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