Töï Saéc Cuûa Ñöùc Giaùo Hoaøng Phanxicoâ
Chuùa Gieâsu Thaåm Phaùn Nhaân Töø
Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus
Veà vieäc caûi toå thuû tuïc phaùp lyù
ñoái vôùi caùc vuï aùn tuyeân boá söï voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân trong boä Giaùo Luaät
Baûn dòch vieät ngöõ cuûa:
Linh Muïc John Baptist Leâ Ngoïc Duõng, Giaùo Phaän Nha Trang
vaø Linh Muïc Joseph Hoaøng Vaên Syõ, Giaùo Phaän Quy Nhôn
Phaàn Thöù Nhaát
Chuùa Gieâsu, vò Thaåm Phaùn nhaân töø, Muïc töû taâm hoàn chuùng ta, ñaõ uûy thaùc cho toâng ñoà Pheâroâ vaø caùc Ñaáng Keá Vò quyeàn chìa khoùa ñeå thöïc thi trong Giaùo Hoäi coâng lyù vaø söï thaät. Quyeàn toái thöôïng vaø phoå quaùt naøy, ñeå caàm buoäc vaø thaùo gôõ treân traàn gian, ñaõ khaúng ñònh, cuûng coá vaø minh chöùng quyeàn cuûa caùc muïc töû nôi caùc Giaùo Hoäi ñòa phöông. Do ñieàu naøy caùc ngaøi coù quyeàn thaùnh thieâng vaø tröôùc maët Chuùa quyeàn xeùt xöû nhöõng ngöôøi thuoäc veà mình.
Trong nhieàu theá kyû qua, ñoái vôùi vaán ñeà hoân nhaân, nhôø nhaän thöùc roõ raøng hôn veà lôøi cuûa Chuùa Kitoâ, Giaùo Hoäi ñaõ hieåu vaø giaûi thích saâu saéc hôn ñaïo lyù baát khaû phaân ly cuûa daây hoân phoái thaùnh thieâng. Giaùo Hoäi ñaõ nghieân cöùu cô caáu voâ hieäu cuûa söï öng thuaän hoân nhaân vaø ñaõ quy ñònh thích hôïp hôn trong vaán ñeà thuû tuïc xeùt xöû sao cho luaät leä trong Giaùo Hoäi ñöôïc nhaát quaùn hôn vôùi chaân lyù ñöùc tin ñöôïc tuyeân xöng.
Nhöõng ñieàu naøy ñöôïc thöïc hieän nhö moät höôùng daãn cuûa quy luaät toái thöôïng laø cöùu roãi caùc linh hoàn, bôûi vì, nhö lôøi daïy khoân ngoan cuûa Chaân Phöôùc Giaùo Hoaøng Phaoloâ VI, Giaùo Hoäi laø chöông trình thaùnh cuûa Chuùa Ba Ngoâi, nhôø ñoù caùc cô caáu cuûa Giaùo Hoäi, duø luoân coù theå hoaøn thieän phaûi höôùng ñeán muïc ñích thoâng truyeàn ôn thaùnh; tuøy theo khaû naêng vaø söù vuï moãi cô caáu maø khoâng ngöøng ñem laïi thieän ích cho caùc tín höõu, vì ñoù laø muïc ñích caên baûn cuûa Giaùo Hoäi.
YÙ thöùc veà ñieàu ñoù, chuùng toâi quyeát ñònh baét tay vaøo vieäc caûi toå thuû tuïc xeùt söï voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân, vaø vì muïc ñích naøy, toâi ñaõ laäp moät Nhoùm caùc vò noåi tieáng veà hoïc thuyeát phaùp lyù, khoân ngoan muïc vuï vaø coù kinh nghieäm veà toøa aùn döôùi söï chuû trì cuûa vò nieân tröôûng Toøa Thöôïng Thaåm Roâma. Caùc vò naøy ñaõ bieân soaïn döï thaûo vieäc caûi toå, mieãn laø phaûi giöõ nguyeân taéc baát khaû phaân ly cuûa hoân nhaân. Nhôø laøm vieäc nghieâm tuùc, Nhoùm (Coetus) naøy ñaõ chuaån bò moät löôïc ñoà caûi toå vaø sau khi ñaõ caân nhaéc caån troïng cuøng vôùi söï trôï giuùp cuûa caùc chuyeân vieân khaùc, noù trôû thaønh noäi dung chính cho Töï saéc (Motu proprio) naøy.
Vaäy thì, ñieàu maø hoâm nay cuõng nhö hoâm qua, muïc tieâu toái cao cuûa caùc ñònh cheá vaø luaät leä, chính laø moái baän taâm lo cho phaàn roãi caùc linh hoàn, ñaõ thuùc ñaåy Giaùm Muïc Roâma phaûi ñöa ra cho caùc Giaùm Muïc vaên kieän caûi toå naøy, xeùt vì caùc vò cuøng chia seû vôùi ngaøi traùch vuï cuûa Giaùo Hoäi laø baûo veä söï hieäp nhaát trong ñöùc tin vaø trong kyû luaät lieân quan tôùi hoân nhaân, voán laø neàn taûng vaø nguoàn goác cuûa gia ñình Kitoâ höõu. Vieäc caûi toå naøy caøng ñöôïc thuùc ñaåy maïnh meõ hôn vì coù raát ñoâng caùc tín höõu, duø vaãn muoán laøm theo löông taâm laïi thöôøng bò taùch bieät vôùi caùc cô caáu phaùp lyù cuûa Giaùo Hoäi do söï xa caùch veà theå lyù hay luaân lyù. Do ñoù, ñöùc aùi vaø loøng thöông xoùt ñoøi hoûi chính Giaùo Hoäi nhö ngöôøi meï phaûi gaàn guõi vôùi nhöõng ngöôøi con thaáy mình bò taùch bieät nhö vaäy.
Theo ñöôøng höôùng naøy, ña soá caùc Hieàn Huynh cuûa toâi trong haøng Giaùm Muïc, hoïp nhau trong Thöôïng Hoäi Ñoàng baát thöôøng môùi ñaây cuõng vaäy, laø mong muoán laøm sao caùc thuû tuïc nhanh choùng hôn vaø deã daøng hôn. Ñoàng caûm vôùi caùc mong öôùc noùi treân, baèng Töï saéc naøy, toâi quyeát ñònh ñöa ra caùc quy ñònh nhaèm khuyeán khích, khoâng phaûi söï voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân, nhöng laø söï nhanh choùng cuûa thuû tuïc, cuõng khoâng keùm phaàn ñôn giaûn thích ñaùng, ngoõ haàu taâm hoàn caùc tín höõu ñang chôø ñôïi ñöôïc bieát roõ tình traïng cuûa mình seõ khoâng bò ñeø neùn laâu daøi trong boùng toái ngôø vöïc do phaùn quyeát toøa aùn bò chaäm treã.
Chuùng toâi ñaõ laøm nhö vaäy laø theo chaân caùc vò tieàn nhieäm cuûa toâi; caùc ngaøi ñaõ muoán caùc noá voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân phaûi ñöôïc giaûi quyeát baèng con ñöôøng tö phaùp, chöù khoâng phaûi con ñöôøng haønh chaùnh. Ñieàu naøy khoâng vì do baûn chaát cuûa söï vieäc ñaët ra cho baèng laø do nhu caàu phaûi baûo veä toái ña söï thaät cuûa daây hoân phoái thaùnh thieâng: vaø noù nhaát thieát phaûi ñöôïc baûo ñaûm nhôø traät töï phaùp lyù.
Moät soá tieâu chuaån neàn taûng höôùng daãn vieäc caûi toå:
I. Chæ moät phaùn quyeát xaùc nhaän söï baát thaønh coù hieäu löïc thi haønh
Tröôùc heát, thaät thích ñaùng khi khoâng coøn ñoøi buoäc phaûi coù hai phaùn quyeát xaùc nhaän voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân ñeå cho caùc beân coù theå tieán ñeán hoân nhaân khaùc theo giaùo luaät; thay vaøo ñoù, chæ caàn ñaït ñöôïc söï chaéc chaén luaân lyù cuûa thaåm phaùn thöù nhaát chieáu theo quy taéc luaät laø ñuû.
II. Moät thaåm phaùn duy nhaát döôùi traùch nhieäm cuûa Giaùm Muïc
Vieäc ñaët vò thaåm phaùn duy nhaát, duø laø giaùo só, cho toøa aùn caáp moät, cuõng phaûi döôùi traùch nhieäm cuûa Giaùm Muïc; ñeå trong khi thi haønh muïc vuï phaûi luoân baûo ñaûm raèng quyeàn tö phaùp cuûa mình khoâng heà bò lôi loûng.
III. Chính Giaùm Muïc laø thaåm phaùn
Ñeå aùp duïng lôøi daïy cuûa Coâng Ñoàng Vaticanoâ II vaøo thöïc teá ôû moät lónh vöïc raát quan troïng, caàn xaùc ñònh roõ raøng raèng, trong giaùo phaän cuûa mình, Giaùm Muïc ñöôïc ñaët laøm muïc töû vaø ngöôøi ñöùng ñaàu, neân chính ngaøi cuõng laø thaåm phaùn cuûa caùc tín höõu ñaõ ñöôïc uûy thaùc cho mình. Do ñoù, öôùc mong raèng trong caùc giaùo phaän duø lôùn hay nhoû, Giaùm Muïc laø daáu chæ cuûa vieäc caûi caùch cô caáu Giaùo Hoäi vaø ngaøi khoâng uûy thaùc hoaøn toaøn nhieäm vuï tö phaùp veà vaán ñeà hoân nhaân cho caùc vaên phoøng giaùo phuû. Ñieàu naøy ñaëc bieät ñuùng trong thuû tuïc ngaén goïn, ñöôïc thieát laäp, ñeå giaûi quyeát nhöõng vuï aùn raát roõ laø voâ hieäu.
IV. Thuû tuïc ngaén goïn hôn
Thöïc vaäy, beân caïnh vieäc xuùc tieán thuû tuïc thoâng thöôøng coøn coù tuïc ngaén goïn hôn ñöôïc quy ñònh - boå sung cho thuû tuïc xöû theo taøi lieäu hieän haønh - aùp duïng cho nhöõng vuï aùn khieáu toá söï voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân maø coù ñöôïc nhöõng luaän chöùng ñaëc bieät roõ raøng.
Tuy nhieân, cuõng phaûi thöøa nhaän raèng thuû tuïc ngaén goïn coù theå gaây nguy haïi cho nguyeân taéc baát khaû phaân ly cuûa hoân nhaân. Vì lyù do naøy, chuùng toâi muoán trong thuû tuïc xeùt xöû ñoù, thaåm phaùn phaûi chính laø Giaùm Muïc, ñaáng do chöùc vuï muïc töû cuûa mình, cuøng vôùi thaùnh Pheâroâ, laø ngöôøi baûo ñaûm hôn heát söï hieäp nhaát coâng giaùo veà ñöùc tin vaø kyû luaät.
V. Khaùng aùn leân toøa giaùo tænh
Ñieàu thích hôïp laø vieäc khaùng aùn leân toøa giaùo tænh vaãn ñöôïc duy trì, vì toøa naøy coù chöùc vuï ñöùng ñaàu giaùo tænh, vöõng beàn trong nhieàu theá kyû qua, laø daáu chæ ñaëc tröng cho tính coâng nghò trong Giaùo Hoäi.
VI. Nhieäm vuï cuûa caùc Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc
Caùc Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc, ñöôïc thuùc baùch bôûi loøng nhieät thaønh toâng ñoà muoán ñeán vôùi caùc tín höõu bò phaân taùn, phaûi yù thöùc maïnh meõ traùch nhieäm chia seû vôùi nhau trong vieäc caûi toå noùi treân, vaø caàn toân troïng tuyeät ñoái quyeàn cuûa caùc Giaùm Muïc veà vieäc saép ñaët quyeàn tö phaùp trong Giaùo Hoäi ñòa phöông.
Vieäc phuïc hoài söï gaàn guõi giöõa thaåm phaùn vaø caùc tín höõu, seõ khoâng theå naøo thaønh coâng neáu Hoäi Ñoàng Giaùm muïc khoâng khuyeán khích töøng vò Giaùm Muïc vaø cuøng nhau giuùp ñôõ ñeå tieán haønh vieäc caûi toå thuû toá tuïng hoân nhaân.
Cuøng vôùi vieäc gaàn guõi cuûa thaåm phaùn, caùc Hoäi ñoàng Giaùm muïc, ngoaøi vieäc traû thuø lao ñuùng ñaén vaø xöùng ñaùng cho caùc nhaân vieân cho toøa aùn, coøn phaûi coá gaéng heát söùc coù theå baûo ñaûm cho caùc thuû tuïc naøy ñöôïc mieãn phí, vì Giaùo Hoäi, toû loä mình nhö ngöôøi meï roäng löôïng, maø trong vieäc gaén lieàn tôùi phaàn roãi caùc linh hoàn, phaûi bieåu loä tình yeâu nhöng khoâng cuûa Chuùa Kitoâ, maø nhôø ñoù, taát caû chuùng ta ñöôïc cöùu ñoä.
VII. Khaùng aùn leân Toøa Thaùnh
Duø theá naøo ñi nöõa, vaãn toân troïng nguyeân taéc phaùp lyù coå thôøi, caàn duy trì vieäc khaùng aùn leân Toøa aùn Toâng Toøa thoâng thöôøng, töùc Toøa Thöôïng thaåm Roâma (Rota Romana), nhôø ñoù moái lieân keát giöõa Toøa Pheâroâ vôùi caùc Giaùo Hoäi ñòa phöông ñöôïc cuûng coá. Tuy nhieân, trong quy ñònh khaùng caùo naøy, caàn traùnh moïi söï laïm duïng luaät ñeå khoâng gaây thieät haïi ñeán phaàn roãi caùc linh hoàn.
Luaät rieâng cuûa Toøa Thöôûng Thaåm Roâma seõ ñöôïc thích öùng sôùm heát söùc vôùi quy taéc caûi toå thuû tuïc naøy.
VIII. Döï kieán ñoái vôùi caùc Giaùo Hoäi Ñoâng Phöông
Cuoái cuøng, xeùt vì ñaëc tính rieâng veà toå chöùc vaø kæ luaät cuûa caùc Giaùo Hoäi Ñoâng phöông, neân chuùng toâi ñaõ quyeát ñònh, cuõng trong ngaøy naøy, ban haønh rieâng caùc quy taéc caûi toå luaät toá tuïng hoân nhaân trong Boä Giaùo Luaät cuûa caùc Giaùo Hoäi Ñoâng Phöông.
Taát caû ñieàu noùi treân cho thaáy thaät thích hôïp ñeå chuùng toâi quyeát ñònh vaø aán ñònh raèng Cuoán VI cuûa Boä Giaùo Luaät, phaàn III, ñeà muïc I, chöông I veà nhöõng vuï aùn tuyeân boá söï voâ hieäu cuûa hoân nhaân (caùc ñieàu töø 1671 ñeán 1691), keå töø ngaøy 8.12.2015, seõ ñöôïc thay theá hoaøn toaøn bôûi caùc ñieàu luaät sau ñaây:
Nhöõng Vuï AÙn Tuyeân Boá Hoân Nhaân Baát Thaønh (1671-1691)
(Baûn dòch Vieät ngöõ do Lm. Jos. Huyønh Vaên Syõ,
Gp Quy Nhôn)
Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio
Of The Supreme Pontiff Francis
Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus
By Which The Canons Of The Code Of Canon Law
Pertaining To Cases Regarding The Nullity Of Marriage
Are Reformed
The Gentle Judge, our Lord Jesus, the Shepherd of our Souls, entrusted to the Apostle Peter and to his successors the power of the keys to carry out the work of truth and justice in the Church; this supreme and universal power of binding and loosing here on earth asserts, strengthens and protects the power of Pastors of particular Churches, by virtue of which they have the sacred right and duty before the Lord to enact judgment toward those entrusted to their care.[1]
Through the centuries, the Church, having attained a clearer awareness of the words of Christ, came to and set forth a deeper understanding of the doctrine of the indissolubility of the sacred bond of marriage, developed a system of nullities of matrimonial consent, and put together a judicial process more fitting to the matter so that ecclesiastical discipline might conform more and more to the truth of the faith she was professing.
All these things were done following the supreme law of the salvation of souls[2] insofar as the Church, as Blessed Paul VI wisely taught, is the divine plan of the Trinity, and therefore all her institutions, constantly subject to improvement, work, each according to its respective duty and mission, toward the goal of transmitting divine grace and constantly promoting the good of the Christian faithful as the Church's essential end.[3]
It is with this awareness that we decided to undertake a reform of the processes regarding the nullity of marriage, and we accordingly assembled a Committee for this purpose comprised of men renowned for their knowledge of the law, their pastoral prudence, and their practical experience. This Committee, under the guidance of the Dean of the Roman Rota, drew up a plan for reform with due regard for the need to protect the principle of the indissolubility of the marital bound. Working quickly, this Committee devised within a short period of time a framework for the new procedural law that, after careful examination with the help of other experts, is now presented in this motu proprio.
Therefore, the zeal for the salvation of souls that, today like yesterday, always remains the supreme end of the Church's institutions, rules, and law, compels the Bishop of Rome to promulgate this reform to all bishops who share in his ecclesial duty of safeguarding the unity of the faith and teaching regarding marriage, the source and center of the Christian family. The desire for this reform is fed by the great number of Christian faithful who, as they seek to assuage their consciences, are often kept back from the juridical structures of the Church because of physical or moral distance. Thus charity and mercy demand that the Church, like a good mother, be near her children who feel themselves estranged from her.
All of this also reflects the wishes of the majority of our brother bishops gathered at the recent extraordinary synod who were asking for a more streamlined and readily accessible judicial process.[4] Agreeing wholeheartedly with their wishes, we have decided to publish these provisions that favor not the nullity of marriages, but the speed of processes as well as the simplicity due them, lest the clouds of doubt overshadow the hearts of the faithful awaiting a decision regarding their state because of a delayed sentence.
We have done this following in the footsteps of our predecessors who wished cases of nullity to be handled in a judicial rather than an administrative way, not because the nature of the matter demands it, but rather due to the unparalleled need to safeguard the truth of the sacred bond: something ensured by the judicial order.
A few fundamental criteria stand out that have guided the work of reform
I. - A single executive sentence in favor of nullity is effective. - First of all, it seemed that a double conforming decision in favor of the nullity of a marriage was no longer necessary to enable the parties to enter into a new canonical marriage. Rather, moral certainty on the part of the first judge in accord with the norm of law is sufficient.
II. - A sole judge under the responsibility of the bishop. - In the first instance, the responsibility of appointing a sole judge, who must be a cleric, is entrusted to the bishop, who in the pastoral exercise of his judicial power must guard against all laxism.
III. - The bishop himself as judge. - In order that a teaching of the Second Vatican Council regarding a certain area of great importance finally be put into practice, it has been decided to declare openly that the bishop himself, in the church over which he has been appointed shepherd and head, is by that very fact the judge of those faithful entrusted to his care. It is thus hoped that the bishop himself, be it of a large or small diocese, stand as a sign of the conversion of ecclesiastical structures,[5] and that he does not delegate completely the duty of deciding marriage cases to the offices of his curia. This is especially true in the streamlined process for handling cases of clear nullity being established in the present document.
IV. - Briefer process. - For indeed, in simplifying the ordinary process for handling marriage cases, a sort of briefer process was devised - besides the current documentary procedure - to be applied in those cases where the alleged nullity of marriage is supported by particularly clear arguments.
Nevertheless, we are not unaware of the extent to which the principle of the indissolubility of marriage might be endangered by the briefer process; for this very reason we desire that the bishop himself be established as the judge in this process, who, due to his duty as pastor, has the greatest care for catholic unity with Peter in faith and discipline.
V. - Appeal to the metropolitan see. - It is necessary that the appeal process be restored to the metropolitan see, especially since that duty, insofar as the metropolitan see is the head of the ecclesiastical province, stands out through time as a stable and distinctive sign of synodality in the Church.
VI. The duty proper to episcopal conferences. - Conferences of bishops, which above all should be driven by apostolic zeal to reach out to the dispersed faithful, should especially feel the duty of participating in the aforementioned "conversion" and they should respect the restored and defended right of organizing judicial power in their own particular churches.
The restoration of the proximity between the judge and the faithful will never reach its desired result unless episcopal conferences offer encouragement and assistance to individual bishops so that they may carry out the reform of the matrimonial process.
Episcopal conferences, in close collaboration with judges, should ensure, to the best of their ability and with due regard for the just compensation of tribunal employees, that processes remain free of charge, and that the Church, showing herself a generous mother to the faithful, manifest, in a matter so intimately tied to the salvation of souls, the gratuitous love of Christ by which we have all been saved.
VII. - Appeal to the Apostolic See. - In accord with a revered and ancient right, it is still necessary to retain the appeal to the ordinary tribunal of the Holy See, namely the Roman Rota, so as to strengthen the bond between the See of Peter and the particular churches, with due care, however, to keep in check any abuse of the practice of this appeal, lest the salvation of souls should be jeopardized.
Nevertheless, insofar as necessary, the respective law of the Roman Rota will be adapted as soon as possible to the rules of the reformed process.
VIII. - Provisions for Eastern Churches. - Finally, given the particular ecclesial and disciplinary arrangement of Eastern Churches, we have decided to publish, separately and on this very day, revised norms for updating the handling of matrimonial processes as presented in the Code of Canons of Eastern Churches.
Therefore, having taken all of this into consideration, we have determined and established the following changes to the Code of Canon Law, Book VII, Part III, Title I, Chapter I, "Cases to Declare the Nullity of Marriage" (cann. 1671-1691), which will take effect beginning December 8th, 2015:
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[1] Cf. Second Vatican Council, the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, n. 27.
[2] Cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 1752.
[3] Cf. Paulus VI, Allocutio iis qui II Conventui Internationali Iuris Canonici interfuerunt, September 17th, 1973.
[4] Cf. Relatio Synodi, n. 48.
[5] Cf. Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, n. 27, in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis 105 (2013), p. 1031.