MARRIAGE CASES OR ANNULMENTS

Some Vietnamese priests are still lack of canonical knowledge on the process of annulment, while some others, due to the ancient tradition of the Vietnamese marriages, evade the responsibility to assist this important process and fail to realize the RIGHT of their parishioners to have it done.

There are several reasons for matrimony to be declared as null in the process of annulment after the “canonical jurisprudence.”

(1) Impotence on either the man or the woman (c.1084);

(2) Total simulation (c.1101);

(3) One or both parties decided not having children (cc.1055 & 1061);

(4) Exclusion of perpetuity (34, 809; 48, 256)’

(5) Exclusion of fidelity;

(6) Pressure and fear (c.1103);

(7) Psychoses, sociopath, homosexuality, skin diseases, hyperaesthesia, alcohol.

There are a few more reasons later added such as epilepsy, immaturity, depressive neurosis, error and defective convalidations.

On September 25, 2015, Pope Francis promulgated the Motu Propio “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus” (Lord Jesus is the Mild Judge) to simplify the annul process. He gave the regulations to have a “short version” (processo breviore) that if the case is clearly solvable then the Diocesan Bishop can declare it is nulled.