Pope: Marriage is not an absolute right

[one...two...tree 2,762]

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI told priests Saturday to do a better job counseling would-be spouses to ensure their marriages last and said no one has an absolute right to a wedding.

Benedict made the comments in his annual speech to the Roman Rota, the Vatican tribunal that decides marriage annulments. An annulment is the process by which the church effectively declares that a marriage never took place.

Benedict acknowledged that the problems that would allow for a marriage to be annulled cannot always be identified beforehand. But he said better pre-marriage counseling, which the Catholic Church requires of the faithful, could help avoid a "vicious circle" of invalid marriages.

He said the right to a church wedding requires that the bride and groom intend to celebrate and live the marriage truthfully and authentically.

"No one can make a claim to the right to a nuptial ceremony," he said.

Benedict has used his annual speech to the Rota to impress on its members the indissolubility of marriage and that they should avoid the temptation of granting annulments on a whim. Last year, he urged the tribunal to work harder to encourage couples to stay together and not confuse "pastoral charity" with the need to uphold church law.

On Saturday, Benedict said priests had an important pastoral job to discern whether would-be spouses are prepared and able to enter into a valid marriage.

"The church and society at large place too much importance on the good of marriage and the family founded on it to not make a profound commitment to it pastorally," Benedict said.

The Vatican's concern about marriage annulments is largely directed at the United States, which in 2006 had more annulment cases launched than the rest of the world combined.

Read more: http://www.azcentral...l#ixzz1BpZa75pW

[mawilson 2,133]

What about the right to a girlfriend?

[james&olya 1,121]

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI told priests Saturday to do a better job counseling would-be spouses to ensure their marriages last and said no one has an absolute right to a wedding.

Benedict made the comments in his annual speech to the Roman Rota, the Vatican tribunal that decides marriage annulments. An annulment is the process by which the church effectively declares that a marriage never took place.

Benedict acknowledged that the problems that would allow for a marriage to be annulled cannot always be identified beforehand. But he said better pre-marriage counseling, which the Catholic Church requires of the faithful, could help avoid a "vicious circle" of invalid marriages.

He said the right to a church wedding requires that the bride and groom intend to celebrate and live the marriage truthfully and authentically.

"No one can make a claim to the right to a nuptial ceremony," he said.

Benedict has used his annual speech to the Rota to impress on its members the indissolubility of marriage and that they should avoid the temptation of granting annulments on a whim. Last year, he urged the tribunal to work harder to encourage couples to stay together and not confuse "pastoral charity" with the need to uphold church law.

On Saturday, Benedict said priests had an important pastoral job to discern whether would-be spouses are prepared and able to enter into a valid marriage.

"The church and society at large place too much importance on the good of marriage and the family founded on it to not make a profound commitment to it pastorally," Benedict said.

The Vatican's concern about marriage annulments is largely directed at the United States, which in 2006 had more annulment cases launched than the rest of the world combined.

Read more: http://www.azcentral...l#ixzz1BpZa75pW

Just so long as he recognizes his authority extends only to those who voluntarily accept it by being members of his church. It bothers me more than a little when he attempts to have his religious views enacted into civil laws! Those of us that have a different view of what is moral and right have a right to our views. In a free country we are entitled to make those decisions on our own.

[Danno 1,228]

This story seemed a little odd, to the RCC marriage is a "sacrament"...... no one has an absolute right to a sacrament.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

LOL.. some old freak who has sworn off sex (at least with women), wears a dress all day and brainwashes peasants with fairy tales is going to give advice on marriage ?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Benedict made the comments in his annual speech to the Roman Rota, the Vatican tribunal that decides marriage annulments. An annulment is the process by which the church effectively declares that a marriage never took place.

He said the right to a church wedding requires that the bride and groom intend to celebrate and live the marriage truthfully and authentically.

"No one can make a claim to the right to a nuptial ceremony," he said.

The Pope may be talking about Matrimony, as opposed to Marriage. One is a Sacrament, that falls under Canon Law, and the other is a civil ceremony, that would be prescribed under Civil Law. That was what has been presented to our parish, at least in regards as to whether or not the Church would be required to perform Marriages, gay, or otherwise, under California law, if Proposition 8 is finally overturned. By the way, we were denied a church wedding, because we could not fulfill the requirements within the 90 day K-1 window.

Annulments also differ from Divorce.

Edited January 23, 2011 by Some Old Guy

[Fandango 1,439]

LOL.. some old freak who has sworn off sex (at least with women), wears a dress all day and brainwashes peasants with fairy tales is going to give advice on marriage ?

Rude and offensive.

[BishopM 114]

The Pope may be talking about Matrimony, as opposed to Marriage. One is a Sacrament, that falls under Canon Law, and the other is a civil ceremony, that would be prescribed under Civil Law. That was what has been presented to our parish, at least in regards as to whether or not the Church would be required to perform Marriages, gay, or otherwise, under California law, if Proposition 8 is finally overturned. By the way, we were denied a church wedding, because we could not fulfill the requirements within the 90 day K-1 window.

Annulments also differ from Divorce.

In my pre-Bishop existence I was married/divorced. Now, with AAm, I did the RCC annulment of the prior marriage / RCC marriage counseling / RCC marriage in the Church by our Priest. I have to tell you honestly, I was very skeptical of the need for any of that and made that known to our Priest. However, now that I have gone through it all I realize just how deep of a blessing that entire process can be...it turned out to be a very great experience, a real cleansing of my soul prior to marriage to AAm. I don't expect people to understand this at all from a Spiritual level, and I also agree that this process obviously belongs to the Catholic Church only, but in general I think we can all agree with the Pope that taking some time to know what you're doing before you get married seems to be a step that a lot of people bypass today (I'm guilty too, obviously, in my younger years)...

BTW Some Old Guy, we too couldn't get through this process within the 90 window of the K1 visa. So, we did the civil ceremony to meet the K1 requirements. We did our RCC wedding after AAm had been in the USA for about one year, and after going through this process. It truly was a tremendous event

Peace to VJ - M

[Danno 1,228]

LOL.. some old freak who has sworn off sex (at least with women), wears a dress all day and brainwashes peasants with fairy tales is going to give advice on marriage ?

I think you could make your exact point without baiting,.... but that might require another sentence or two, beyond your capacity.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Rude and offensive.

The pope isn't a sacred cow.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think you could make your exact point without baiting,.... but that might require another sentence or two, beyond your capacity.

If you read between the lines his point is that what the Pope thinks is irrelevant. You can choose to fixate on the presentation of the point - but it's just that: a choice. One that will take the thread off topic and into the realm of TOS violation

[Danno 1,228]

If you read between the lines his point is that what the Pope thinks is irrelevant. You can choose to fixate on the presentation of the point - but it's just that: a choice. One that will take the thread off topic and into the realm of TOS violation

So you are saying... the Pope is no more qualified to speak on marriage, than is a sports doctor who has never been an athlete?

[james&olya 1,121]

So you are saying... the Pope is no more qualified to speak on marriage, than is a sports doctor who has never been an athlete?

I think a sports doctor who has never been an athlete is as qualified as the pope to speak on marriage. Maybe even if he had been an athlete!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So you are saying... the Pope is no more qualified to speak on marriage, than is a sports doctor who has never been an athlete?

I am paraphrasing the point made by the other poster - the one that you seemed to struggle with.

The Pope is the leader of an archaic and corrupt religious institution. What he says has no relevance to a lot of people, not to mention quite a number of Catholics. Opinions differ, who knew!?

Edited January 23, 2011 by Ron Burgundy

[Danno 1,228]

If you read between the lines his point is that what the Pope thinks is irrelevant. You can choose to fixate on the presentation of the point - but it's just that: a choice. One that will take the thread off topic and into the realm of TOS violation

So you are saying... the Pope is no more qualified to speak on marriage, than is a sports doctor who has never been an athlete?