The Catholic Thing: Canonist Father Gerald E. Murray: If the judgment by the bishop is in favor of the validity of the marriage, however, that judgment has no effect and the petition for a declaration of nullity is automatically submitted to the ordinary process, as if nothing had happened.
… One is left to ask: why should the Church institute a process that can only be trusted when it produces one outcome – a declaration of nullity? In fact, such a process does not respond to the demands of justice, and does harm to the Church’s effort to uphold the indissolubility of marriage. This flawed innovation is just one of many reasons why it would be best simply to set aside this new legislation. Read full article here.
