Pope says official sacked for selling annulments - update

Gazzetta del Sud
November 5, 2014

http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/115341/Pope-says-official-sacked-for-selling-annulments---update.html

Vatican City, November 5 - Pope Francis revealed Wednesday that he had dismissed a Church official for selling marriage annulments. "I had to dismiss a person from the tribunal who some time ago said: '$10,000 and I'll do both the civil and ecclesiastical procedure," Francis told a group of people taking part in a course at the Roman Rota tribunal. The Rota is the highest appeals tribunal of the Catholic Church. He described the event as a "public scandal" and did not give further details about where or when the sacking occurred during his off-the-cuff comments in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican. But he said the process of annulling a marriage should be streamlined. That was a significant topic during last month's extraordinary synod of bishops from around the world discussing issues confronting modern families, the pope noted. "There is an interest to streamline procedures, for reasons of justice," Francis said. "Justice for the people who have been waiting...waiting how many years for a judgment (on an annulment request)," he said. Using his home country of Argentina, and the city of Buenos Aires, as an example, Francis said it has 15 dioceses covering such an area that people cannot afford to take the time from work to seek the right courts and devote the energy to seeking an annulment. "The mother church must do justice and say, 'Yes, it's true, your marriage is void; or No, your marriage is valid'," he said.