Pope Leo XIV addressed participants of a training course on marital nullity, reflecting on Pope Francis' reform. The Pope emphasized the importance of truth, justice, and mercy in the marital nullity process. He highlighted the need to understand the ecclesiological, juridical, and pastoral dimensions of the process. Pope Leo XIV urged the group to remember that the goal of the process is the salvation of souls.
23 days ago
Pope Leo XIV delivered a speech on November 21, 2025, to participants in the Juridical-Pastoral Training Course of the Roman Rota, marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' reform of the marriage nullity process via the motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus.1 5
The address emphasized the reform's goals of accessibility and promptness without compromising truth, drawing on the course title to explore ecclesiological, juridical, and pastoral dimensions.2 3
Pope Francis' 2015 reform aimed to streamline annulment proceedings while safeguarding the indissolubility of marriage, reaffirming the need for judicial processes to verify the "sacred bond."1 4
Leo XIV referenced his predecessor's January 31 address, highlighting innovations that integrate theology, law, and pastoral care as interconnected rather than opposing elements.5
Articles note the reform's focus on serving the faithful's conscience, especially in troubled families, without reducing processes to mere technicalities.2 3
The Pope stressed that viewing theology, law, and pastoral care as separate "compartments" obscures their unity, often leading to superficial treatments of annulments as just freeing individuals.1 5
Ecclesiological foundations include sacred authority as a service (diakonia) to truth, rooted in Vatican II's Lumen Gentium, where judicial power participates in Christ's authority.2 4
Pastoral relevance emerges when tribunals contribute to family well-being, particularly through preliminary investigations to assess nullity grounds.3 5
Annulment cases center on discerning the "mystery of the conjugal covenant" and the "one flesh" union, which persists despite relational failures.1 4
Leo XIV described judicial authority as the "diakonia of truth," essential for faithful, families, and communities to navigate faith and charity, with juridical truth as part of existential truth in the Church.2 5
He urged realism in evaluations, warning against seeing processes as cumbersome; instead, they ensure impartiality and benefit the Church by upholding marriage's indissolubility.3 4
The Pope cautioned against "false mercy" that distorts human judgment on nullity, insisting mercy operates within proper judicial exercise, not by bypassing truth.1 2
True mercy manifests in the reform's accessibility, satisfying the faithful's deep need for justice, as echoed in St. Augustine's view of compassion aligned with right.3 5
While promoting reconciliation and validation where possible, Leo XIV affirmed litigation's necessity for public ecclesial goods like the marital bond.4
God's forgiving judgment contrasts with required rigor in annulments, ensuring actions contrary to truth are deemed unjust.2 3
Pastoral care must integrate tribunals' justice work, fostering synergy in addressing family crises, as seen in growing awareness of judicial roles in family ministry.1 5
Leo XIV quoted St. John Paul II, noting juridical activity's inherently pastoral nature in realizing Christ's order of intra-ecclesial justice.4
Ultimately, all dimensions converge on salus animarum—the salvation of souls—as the supreme law, with rotal judges bearing great responsibility in this service.2 3
The address calls for forensic ethics centered on truth, promoting justice and peace for families in difficulty.5
Investigate the theological, juridical, and pastoral unity in annulment reform
The 2015 reform of the annulment processes, promulgated by Pope Francis through the motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus, represents a profound effort to harmonize theological fidelity, juridical rigor, and pastoral solicitude in the Church's handling of marriage nullity cases. This reform does not alter the Church's unchanging doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage but streamlines procedures to better serve the faithful, ensuring that the search for truth aligns with mercy and justice. By eliminating the requirement for double conforming sentences, empowering bishops as judges, and introducing a briefer process for evident nullities, the reform upholds the sacramental nature of marriage while addressing practical barriers that previously distanced the wounded from the Church's embrace. This unity reflects the Church's mission as a mother who heals through truth, law, and compassion.
At its core, the annulment reform maintains unwavering fidelity to the theological truth of marriage as an indissoluble sacrament instituted by Christ, a bond that mirrors the unbreakable union between Christ and the Church. The reform explicitly safeguards this doctrine, emphasizing that procedural changes are not intended to favor nullity declarations but to conform ecclesiastical discipline more closely to the faith professed by the Church. Through centuries of reflection on Christ's words, the Church has developed a nuanced understanding of matrimonial consent's nullity, ensuring that any judgment declares an objective reality rather than dissolving a valid union. This theological anchor prevents any dilution of the indissolubility principle, even as processes are simplified; the bishop's role as judge, drawn from Vatican II's vision of the local pastor, reinforces the Church's unity in faith and discipline.
Critics of overly subjective approaches rightly highlight that theological integrity demands an objective search for truth, not personal discernment that could undermine the sacrament's public and ecclesial character. The reform avoids this pitfall by requiring moral certainty from the judge, rooted in canon law's presumption of validity (c. 1060), thus protecting the rights of the entire community. Earlier teachings, such as those from Benedict XVI, underscore that pastoral care cannot oppose theological truth; instead, law serves as the condition for love, ensuring judgments align with the salus animarum—the salvation of souls—as the supreme law. In this way, the reform embodies a theological continuity, where mercy illuminates justice without compromising the divine plan of the Trinity for marriage.
Juridically, the reform introduces targeted modifications to the Code of Canon Law (cann. 1671-1691), effective from December 8, 2015, to foster efficiency while preserving the dialectical process essential for ascertaining truth. Key changes include the sufficiency of a single executive sentence for nullity, based on the first judge's moral certainty, eliminating the prior need for double conformity that often prolonged cases unnecessarily. A new "briefer process" applies to cases with particularly clear arguments of nullity, handled directly by the bishop to ensure proximity and accountability. This does not dispense with the defender of the bond or evidentiary rigor but adapts procedures to modern realities, responding to synodal calls for accessibility without endangering the indissolubility principle.
The bishop's explicit role as judge—whether personally or through a diocesan tribunal—marks a juridical return to Vatican II's emphasis on the local ordinary as shepherd and head (Lumen Gentium, n. 23). Bishops may form inter-diocesan tribunals for practicality, but the reform prioritizes non-delegation to curial offices, promoting structural conversion. This unity in law counters any false dichotomy between procedure and purpose; as Benedict XVI noted, trials declare the truth about a bond's validity, a public good beyond private disposition, with the Church as the ultimate petitioner. The instruction Dignitas Connubii (2005) complements this by safeguarding procedural norms against arbitrary decisions, ensuring judges possess moral certitude (c. 1608 §1). Theological assessments affirm that faithful adherence to these canons, supported by proper formation of tribunal ministers (cc. 1420 §4, 1421 §3, 1435), guarantees justice and efficiency. Thus, juridical unity fortifies the process against "false mercy" that might prioritize speed over substance.
Pastoral considerations infuse the reform, driven by the Church's maternal solicitude to draw near the faithful estranged by lengthy or inaccessible processes. Pope Francis articulated this as an act of charity and mercy, responding to the "great number of Christian faithful" hindered by physical or moral distance from juridical structures. The reform's spirit, echoed in the Jubilee of Mercy, seeks to bring the joy of the Gospel to those in irregular situations, offering clarification on their marital state without undue delay. By abolishing double sentences and enacting the rapid process, it addresses the "clouds of doubt" overshadowing consciences, enabling quicker paths to reconciliation and full Eucharistic participation where nullity is established.
This pastoral thrust extends to gratuitousness in procedures, where feasible, allowing the faithful to experience Christ's gratuitous love. Bishops are called to exercise their role as fathers, teachers, and judges, listening with mercy while upholding justice. Yet, pastoral unity demands balance: subjective internal-forum solutions are rejected, as they risk arbitrariness and injustice, echoing condemnations from Trent and Pius VI that matrimonial cases belong solely to ecclesiastical judges. Instead, strengthened tribunals—with well-formed ministers unburdened by other duties—ensure compassionate yet truthful accompaniment. Preparation for marriage must also be bolstered, integrating sacraments like Penance and Confirmation to prevent wounds at their source. As Francis urged, this conversion of structures serves couples and children, victims of broken unions, fostering a Church that prays, encourages, and sustains in faith and hope.
The reform's genius lies in its seamless integration, where theology informs law, law enables pastoral care, and all converge on the salus animarum. Theological truth—the indissolubility of marriage—grounds juridical changes, ensuring processes declare objective nullity without presumption of invalidity. Juridical streamlining, in turn, amplifies pastoral reach, making the Church a "good mother" who heals fragility through accessible justice. No opposition exists between these pillars; as Benedict XVI clarified, law and pastoral ministry unite in the search for saving truth, avoiding complacency that harms the community. Theological assessments reinforce this: proper canonical formation prevents the "juridical bottleneck" that once impeded salvation, while emphasizing that tribunals perform an essential service irreplaceable by informal discernment. The synodal origins and Roman Rota's clarifications further unify implementation, with bishops as pivotal figures embodying this triad.
In conclusion, the annulment reform exemplifies the Church's holistic approach: theologically faithful, juridically sound, and pastorally merciful. It invites ongoing formation and commitment to ensure these elements sustain the Christian family, the source of ecclesial life, amid contemporary challenges. By prioritizing truth in mercy, the Church guides the faithful toward healing and the fullness of grace.