At 10:40am this morning in Rome (4:40am EST), in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience the priest auditors, the officials, the advocates and the team from the Tribunal of the Roman Rota on the occasion of the solemn inauguration of the Judicial Year.
Following a word of greeting offered by the Dean of the Tribunal, His Excellency, Pio Vito Pinto, the Pope shared the following speech with those who were gathered.
Your Excellency,
Dear Auditor Prelates,
I offer each one of you my cordial greetings, beginning with your Dean, who I thank for his words. I greet those who are participating in this meeting: the officials, the advocates and the other members of the team at the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota. I extend sincere wishes at the start of this judicial year which begins today.
The society in which we live is more and more secular, and does not favour the growth of faith, with the consequence that the Catholic faithful grow tired of bearing witness to living according to the gospel, even in terms of that which concerns the Sacrament of Matrimony. In this context, the Church must, in all her articulations, act in harmony to offer adequate spiritual and pastoral support. In your daily ministry at the service to Christian matrimony, you experience two fundamental cornerstones not only in regard to theology and the canonical laws pertaining to matrimony, but also and even more at the core of the essence of the Church of Christ: unity and fidelity. In fact, these two matrimonial goods, even before they exist, in order to be juridical obligations of every conjugal union in Christ, should be epiphanies of baptismal faith.
In order for it to be validly contracted, marriage requires that one establishes in each of the nubendi a full unity and harmony with the other, so that, through the mutual exchange of the respective human, moral and spiritual riches - almost by way of communicating vessels - the two spouses become one thing. Marriage also requires a commitment of fidelity, which absorbs all life, permanently becoming consortium totius vitae (Canon 1135).
Unity and fidelity are two important and necessary values not only between spouses, but generally in interpersonal and social relationships. We are all aware of the drawbacks that determine the unfulfilled promises in the civil sphere as well as the lack of fidelity to the word given and to the commitments undertaken.
Unity and fidelity. These two indispensable and constitutive assets of marriage must not only to be adequately illustrated to the future spouses, but they also call for the pastoral action of the Church, especially of the bishops and priests, in order to accompany families in the various stages of their formation and development. This pastoral action naturally cannot be limited to the completion of the practices, although this is necessary and must be carried out with care. We need a triple preparation for marriage: remote, proximate and permanent. The latter is good for understanding the different stages of married life in a serious and structural way, through careful training aimed at increasing the awareness of the values and commitments of their vocation as spouses.
The main subjects of this marriage formation, by virtue of their office and ministry, are pastors; nevertheless, it is more opportune, indeed necessary to involve the ecclesial communities in their different components: they are co-responsible for this pastoral care under the guidance of the diocesan Bishop and the parish priest. The obligation is therefore in solidum, with primary responsibility laid on pastors and the active participation of the community in promoting marriage and accompanying families with spiritual and formative support.
To understand this pastoral need, it would be good to consider - in the Scriptures - the experience of the spouses Aquila and Priscilla. They were among the most faithful companions of the mission of Saint Paul, who refer to them as their sinergoi with grateful affection, that is full collaborators in the anxiety and the work of the Apostle. We are struck and moved by this high recognition by Paul of the missionary work of these spouses; and at the same time we can recognize how this synergy was a precious gift of the Spirit to the first Christian communities. We therefore ask the Holy Spirit to give the Church priests today who are able to appreciate and value the charisms of spouses with a strong faith and apostolic spirit such as Aquila and Priscilla had.
The constant and permanent pastoral care of the Church for the good of marriage and of the family must be carried out through various pastoral means: the approach to the Word of God, especially through lectio divina; catechetical meetings; involvement in the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; conversation and spiritual direction; participation in family groups and charitable services, as well as developing the comparison with other families and openness to the needs of those who are most disadvantaged.
On the other hand, spouses who live their marriage in generous unity and with faithful love, supporting each other with the grace of the Lord and with the necessary support of the ecclesial community, represent in turn a precious source of pastoral help for the Church. In fact, they offer everyone an example of true love and become witnesses and cooperators in the fruitfulness of the Church itself. Truly, many Christian spouses are silent sermons for everyone, weekday sermon I would say, everyday, and we must unfortunately see that a couple who has lived together for so many years does not make news - this is sad -, while scandals, separations and divorces are making headlines ... (see Homily at the Casa Santa Marta, Friday 18 May 2018).
Spouses who live in unity and in fidelity reflect the image and likeness of God. This is the good news: that fidelity is possible, because it is a gift, in spouses and in presbyters. This is the news that should also make the faithful and full ministry of evangelical love of bishops and priests stronger and more consoling; how the love and marital fidelity of the spouses Aquila and Priscilla were comforting for Paul and Apollo!
Dear prelate auditors, I renew my gratitude to each one of you for the good you do for the people of God, serving justice through your sentences. Besides the importance for the interested parties of the judgment in itself, they contribute to correctly interpreting matrimonial law. This right is placed at the service of the salus animarum and the faith of the spouses. Therefore, we understand the punctual reference of the sentences issued by the Rota to the principles of Catholic doctrine, as regards the natural idea of marriage, with relative obligations and rights, and even more as regards the sacramental reality of matrimony.
Thank you with all my heart for your work! I invoke divine assistance upon you and I willingly impart my Apostolic blessing. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you!
(Original text in Italian)
Following a word of greeting offered by the Dean of the Tribunal, His Excellency, Pio Vito Pinto, the Pope shared the following speech with those who were gathered.
Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to members of the
Tribunal of the Roman Rota
Your Excellency,
Dear Auditor Prelates,
I offer each one of you my cordial greetings, beginning with your Dean, who I thank for his words. I greet those who are participating in this meeting: the officials, the advocates and the other members of the team at the Apostolic Tribunal of the Roman Rota. I extend sincere wishes at the start of this judicial year which begins today.
The society in which we live is more and more secular, and does not favour the growth of faith, with the consequence that the Catholic faithful grow tired of bearing witness to living according to the gospel, even in terms of that which concerns the Sacrament of Matrimony. In this context, the Church must, in all her articulations, act in harmony to offer adequate spiritual and pastoral support. In your daily ministry at the service to Christian matrimony, you experience two fundamental cornerstones not only in regard to theology and the canonical laws pertaining to matrimony, but also and even more at the core of the essence of the Church of Christ: unity and fidelity. In fact, these two matrimonial goods, even before they exist, in order to be juridical obligations of every conjugal union in Christ, should be epiphanies of baptismal faith.
In order for it to be validly contracted, marriage requires that one establishes in each of the nubendi a full unity and harmony with the other, so that, through the mutual exchange of the respective human, moral and spiritual riches - almost by way of communicating vessels - the two spouses become one thing. Marriage also requires a commitment of fidelity, which absorbs all life, permanently becoming consortium totius vitae (Canon 1135).
Unity and fidelity are two important and necessary values not only between spouses, but generally in interpersonal and social relationships. We are all aware of the drawbacks that determine the unfulfilled promises in the civil sphere as well as the lack of fidelity to the word given and to the commitments undertaken.
Unity and fidelity. These two indispensable and constitutive assets of marriage must not only to be adequately illustrated to the future spouses, but they also call for the pastoral action of the Church, especially of the bishops and priests, in order to accompany families in the various stages of their formation and development. This pastoral action naturally cannot be limited to the completion of the practices, although this is necessary and must be carried out with care. We need a triple preparation for marriage: remote, proximate and permanent. The latter is good for understanding the different stages of married life in a serious and structural way, through careful training aimed at increasing the awareness of the values and commitments of their vocation as spouses.
The main subjects of this marriage formation, by virtue of their office and ministry, are pastors; nevertheless, it is more opportune, indeed necessary to involve the ecclesial communities in their different components: they are co-responsible for this pastoral care under the guidance of the diocesan Bishop and the parish priest. The obligation is therefore in solidum, with primary responsibility laid on pastors and the active participation of the community in promoting marriage and accompanying families with spiritual and formative support.
To understand this pastoral need, it would be good to consider - in the Scriptures - the experience of the spouses Aquila and Priscilla. They were among the most faithful companions of the mission of Saint Paul, who refer to them as their sinergoi with grateful affection, that is full collaborators in the anxiety and the work of the Apostle. We are struck and moved by this high recognition by Paul of the missionary work of these spouses; and at the same time we can recognize how this synergy was a precious gift of the Spirit to the first Christian communities. We therefore ask the Holy Spirit to give the Church priests today who are able to appreciate and value the charisms of spouses with a strong faith and apostolic spirit such as Aquila and Priscilla had.
The constant and permanent pastoral care of the Church for the good of marriage and of the family must be carried out through various pastoral means: the approach to the Word of God, especially through lectio divina; catechetical meetings; involvement in the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; conversation and spiritual direction; participation in family groups and charitable services, as well as developing the comparison with other families and openness to the needs of those who are most disadvantaged.
On the other hand, spouses who live their marriage in generous unity and with faithful love, supporting each other with the grace of the Lord and with the necessary support of the ecclesial community, represent in turn a precious source of pastoral help for the Church. In fact, they offer everyone an example of true love and become witnesses and cooperators in the fruitfulness of the Church itself. Truly, many Christian spouses are silent sermons for everyone, weekday sermon I would say, everyday, and we must unfortunately see that a couple who has lived together for so many years does not make news - this is sad -, while scandals, separations and divorces are making headlines ... (see Homily at the Casa Santa Marta, Friday 18 May 2018).
Spouses who live in unity and in fidelity reflect the image and likeness of God. This is the good news: that fidelity is possible, because it is a gift, in spouses and in presbyters. This is the news that should also make the faithful and full ministry of evangelical love of bishops and priests stronger and more consoling; how the love and marital fidelity of the spouses Aquila and Priscilla were comforting for Paul and Apollo!
Dear prelate auditors, I renew my gratitude to each one of you for the good you do for the people of God, serving justice through your sentences. Besides the importance for the interested parties of the judgment in itself, they contribute to correctly interpreting matrimonial law. This right is placed at the service of the salus animarum and the faith of the spouses. Therefore, we understand the punctual reference of the sentences issued by the Rota to the principles of Catholic doctrine, as regards the natural idea of marriage, with relative obligations and rights, and even more as regards the sacramental reality of matrimony.
Thank you with all my heart for your work! I invoke divine assistance upon you and I willingly impart my Apostolic blessing. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you!
(Original text in Italian)
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