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
Nhöõng nguyeân taéc
höôùng daãn veà thuû tuïc tieán haønh
caùc vuï aùn tuyeân boá hoân nhaân baát thaønh
Thöôïng Hoäi Ñoàng Giaùm Muïc trong khoùa hoïp ngoaïi thöôøng laàn thöù ba, dieãn ra vaøo thaùng 10 naêm 2014, ñaõ nhaän thaáy caùc tín höõu gaëp khoù khaên trong vieäc ñeán vôùi caùc Toøa aùn Giaùo Hoäi. Vì Giaùm Muïc, laø muïc töû toát laønh, coù nghóa vuï phaûi ñeán gaëp gôõ caùc tín höõu cuûa mình ñang caàn moät söï chaêm soùc muïc vuï ñaëc bieät, vaø laø ngöôøi coäng taùc chaéc chaén vôùi ñaáng keá vò thaùnh Pheâroâ vaø vôùi caùc Giaùm Muïc trong vieäc loan truyeàn kieán thöùc phaùp luaät, cho neân raát thích hôïp laø cuøng vôùi nhöõng qui taéc caën keû aùp duïng trong toá tuïng hoân nhaân, caàn phaûi cung caáp moät vaøi phöông thöùc ñeå coâng vieäc taïi caùc toøa aùn coù theå ñaùp öùng nhöõng nhu caàu cuûa caùc tín höõu, nhöõng ngöôøi ñang ñoøi hoûi xaùc ñònh söï thaät veà vieäc coù hay khoâng coù daây hoân phoái ñoái vôùi nhöõng cuoäc hoân nhaân ñaõ ñoå vôõ.
Khoaûn 1. Theo ñieàu luaät 383,-1, Giaùm Muïc coù nghóa vuï phaûi giöõ loøng nhieät thaønh toâng ñoà ñoái vôùi nhöõng ñoâi baïn ñaõ ly thaân hay ñaõ ly dò, coù leõ vì hoaøn caûnh soáng maø boû vieäc thi haønh ñaïo. Vì theá, ngaøi phaûi cuøng vôùi caùc linh muïc quaûn xöù (x. ñ. 529,-1) chia seû noãi öu tö muïc vuï ñoái vôùi caùc tín höõu trong hoaøn caûnh khoù khaên.
Khoaûn 2. Vieäc ñieàu tra tieàn tö phaùp hay muïc vuï, bao goàm vieäc tieáp ñoùn trong khung caûnh giaùo xöù hay giaùo phaän nhöõng tín höõu ñaõ ly thaân hay ly dò maø coù nghi ngôø hay tin chaéc laø hoân nhaân cuûa hoï baát thaønh, laø nhaèm ñeå bieát ñieàu kieän hoân phoái cuûa hoï vaø ñeå thu thaäp nhöõng yeáu toá höõu ích cho vieäc tieán haønh toá tuïng hoân nhaân neáu caàn, theo toá tuïng thoâng thöôøng hay thuû tuïc ngaén goïn. Vieäc ñieàu tra sô khôûi naøy dieãn ra trong boái caûnh muïc vuï hoân nhaân ñoàng nhaát trong giaùo phaän.
Khoaûn 3. Vieäc ñieàu tra sô khôûi naøy phaûi ñöôïc uûy thaùc cho nhöõng ngöôøi maø Ñaáng Baûn Quyeàn ñòa phöông xeùt laø coù khaû naêng, vaø trao cho hoï nhöõng thaåm quyeàn, duø khoâng phaûi laø thaåm quyeàn theo ñuùng nghóa phaùp lyù. Trong soá nhöõng ngöôøi ñöôïc uûy thaùc coâng vieäc ñieàu tra sô khôûi naøy, öu tieân phaûi laø chính linh muïc quaûn xöù hay ngöôøi ñaõ chuaån bò cho caùc ñoâi hoân phoái cöû haønh leã cöôùi. Cuõng coù theå uûy thaùc coâng vieäc tö vaán naøy cho caùc giaùo só khaùc, caùc tu só hay nhöõng giaùo daân ñöôïc Ñaáng Baûn Quyeàn ñòa phöông chuaån nhaän.
Giaùo phaän, hay nhieàu giaùo phaän cuøng nhau tuøy theo nhöõng nhoùm ñang coù, coù theå thieát laäp moät toå chöùc beàn vöõng nhôø ñoù cung caáp dòch vuï tö vaán naøy vaø, neáu caàn, soaïn thaûo moät taäp caåm nang (vademecum) bao goàm nhöõng yeáu toá thieát yeáu giuùp tieán haønh vieäc ñieàu tra sô khôûi naøy moät caùch thích ñaùng nhaát.
Khoaûn 4. Vieäc ñieàu tra muïc vuï seõ thu thaäp nhöõng yeáu toá höõu ích cho vieäc khôûi söï vuï aùn, neáu coù, taïi toøa aùn coù thaåm quyeàn hoaëc bôûi nhöõng ngöôøi phoái ngaãu hoaëc bôûi luaät sö cuûa hoï. Phaûi ñieàu tra xem caùc beân coù ñoàng yù xin cöùu xeùt söï baát thaønh khoâng.
Khoaûn 5. Sau khi ñaõ thu thaäp taát caû moïi yeáu toá, vieäc ñieàu tra seõ keát thuùc vôùi vieäc ñeä ñôn thænh caàu (libellus) leân toøa aùn coù thaåm quyeàn, neáu thích hôïp.
Khoaûn 6. Vì Boä Giaùo Luaät phaûi ñöôïc aùp duïng ôû moïi vaán ñeà, tröø nhöõng quy taéc rieâng bieät, keå caû trong toá tuïng hoân nhaân theo tinh thaàn cuûa ñ. 1691,-3, neân nhöõng qui ñònh ôû ñaây khoâng coù yù trình baøy chi tieát toaøn boä vieäc toá tuïng, maø chæ taäp trung laøm roõ nhöõng canh taân laäp phaùp chính yeáu, vaø khi caàn thieát thì boå tuùc nhöõng môùi meû aáy.
Muïc 1. Toøa coù thaåm quyeàn vaø caùc toøa aùn
Khoaûn 7
1. Nhöõng thaåm quyeàn ñöôïc noùi ñeán ôû ñ. 1672 thì ngang nhau, mieãn laø vaãn heát söùc duy trì nguyeân taéc veà söï gaàn guõi giöõa thaåm phaùn vaø caùc beân.
2. Nhôø vieäc coäng taùc giöõa caùc toøa aùn nhau theo tinh thaàn cuûa ñ. 1418, baát cöù beân naøo hay nhaân chöùng, caàn phaûi ñöôïc baûo ñaûm, ñeàu coù theå tham gia vuï aùn vôùi leä phí nheï nhaát.
Khoaûn 8
1. Trong caùc giaùo phaän khoâng coù toøa aùn rieâng, Giaùm Muïc giaùo phaän, phaûi lo lieäu sôùm heát söùc coù theå, ñaøo taïo nhöõng nhaân söï coù khaû naêng laøm vieäc trong toøa aùn ñöôïc thieát laäp cho nhöõng vuï aùn hoân nhaân, keå caû qua nhöõng khoùa ñaøo taïo thöôøng xuyeân vaø lieân tuïc, ñöôïc baûo trôï bôûi giaùo phaän hay lieân giaùo phaän vaø bôûi Toøa Thaùnh trong tinh thaàn hieäp thoâng.
2. Giaùm muïc coù theå ruùt lui khoûi toøa aùn lieân giaùo phaän ñaõ ñöôïc thieát laäp theo qui taéc cuûa ñ. 1423.
Muïc II. Quyeàn khaùng nghò hoân nhaân
Khoaûn 9. Neáu ngöôøi phoái ngaãu cheát ñang trong thôøi gian toá tuïng, tröôùc khi vuï aùn ngaõ nguõ, thì vuï aùn bò ñình hoaõn cho ñeán khi ngöôøi phoái ngaãu kia hay moät ngöôøi khaùc coù lôïi ích lieân quan yeâu caàu tieáp tuïc; trong tröôøng hôïp naøy phaûi chöùng minh lôïi ích aáy laø hôïp phaùp.
Muïc III. Khôûi ñaàu vaø thaåm tra vuï aùn
Khoaûn 10. Thaåm phaùn coù theå nhaän lôøi thænh caàu moãi khi caùc beân bò ngaên trôû khoâng ñeä ñôn ñöôïc; tuy nhieân, thaåm phaùn phaûi truyeàn cho coâng chöùng vieân soaïn thaûo aùn töø treân giaáy tôø, ñeå ñoïc cho ñöông söï nghe vaø ñeå ñöông söï chaáp nhaän, vaø aùn töø naøy thay theá cho ñôn thænh caàu (libellus) cuûa ñöông söï xeùt veà moïi hieäu löïc phaùp lyù.
Khoaûn 11
1 Ñôn thænh caàu phaûi ñöôïc ñeä trình toøa aùn giaùo phaän hay toøa aùn lieân giaùo phaän ñaõ ñöôïc choïn chieáu theo qui taéc cuûa ñieàu 1673~2.
2. Ñöôïc coi nhö khoâng choáng laïi lôøi thænh caàu, khi bò ñôn trao quyeàn xeùt xöû cho toøa aùn hay, sau khi ñaõ ñöôïc trieäu taäp hôïp thöùc laàn thöù hai, maø khoâng traû lôøi gì.
Muïc IV. Baûn aùn, khaùng nghò vaø thi haønh baûn aùn
Khoaûn 12. Ñeå ñaït ñöôïc söï xaùc tín luaân lyù caàn thieát theo luaät, thì söï troãi vöôït ñaùng keå cuûa nhöõng chöùng côù vaø nhöõng daáu chæ vaãn chöa ñuû, maø coøn phaûi hoaøn toaøn loaïi tröø baát cöù hoaøi nghi thaän troïng tích cöïc naøo laø coù theå sai laàm veà luaät cuõng nhö veà söï kieän, ngay caû cuõng khoâng loaïi tröø chæ laø khaû naêng maâu thuaån.
Khoaûn 13. Neáu moät beân ñaõ tuyeân boá töø choái khoâng nhaän baát cöù thoâng tin naøo lieân quan ñeán vuï aùn, thì ñöôïc hieåu laø ñaõ töø choái khoâng nhaän tôø sao baûn aùn. Trong tröôøng hôïp naøy, coù theå chæ trao cho ngöôøi aáy phaàn quyeát ñònh cuûa baûn aùn.
Muïc V. Toá tuïng hoân nhaân ngaén goïn tröôùc maët giaùm muïc
Khoaûn 14
1. Trong soá nhöõng hoaøn caûnh veà ngöôøi hay söï kieän coù theå cho pheùp tieán haønh vuï aùn tuyeân boá hoân nhaân baát thaønh qua toá tuïng ngaén goïn theo caùc ñieàu 1683-1687, ñöôïc keå nhö laø: thieáu ñöùc tin khieán phaùt sinh söï gæa hình (simulatio) trong öng thuaän hoaëc söï laàm laãn chi phoái vaøo yù chí, cuoäc chung soáng vôï choàng quaù ngaén nguûi, thöïc hieän phaù thai coát ñeå khoâng sinh con, thöôøng xuyeân ngoan coá trong moái lieân heä ngoaøi hoân nhaân vaøo thôøi gian keát hoân hay moät thôøi gian ngay sau khi keát hoân gian yù (dolosus) daáu dieám voâ sinh hay maéc moät beänh truyeàn nhieãm nghieâm troïng hay ñaõ coù con töø moät quan heä tröôùc hay tuø toäi, nguyeân nhaân keát hoân hoaøn toaøn xa laï vôùi ñôøi soáng vôï choàng hay chuû yeáu do ngöôøi phuï nöõ ñaõ lôõ mang thai, baïo löïc theå lyù buoäc beân kia phaûi öng thuaän keát hoân, thieáu söû duïng trí khoân coù giaáy chöùng nhaän cuûa baùc só, v.v...
2. Trong soá caùc taøi lieäu vieän daãn cho lôøi thænh caàu, coù taát caû nhöõng taøi lieäu y khoa. Nhöõng taøi lieäu naøy coù theå khieán khoâng caàn phaûi nhôø ñeán moät giaùm ñònh vieân chính thöùc.
Khoaûn 15. Neáu thænh nguyeän ñôn ñaõ ñöôïc ñeä trình theo thuû tuïc toá tuïng thoâng thöôøng, nhöng vò Ñaïi Dieän tö phaùp cho raèng vuï kieän coù theå tieán haønh theo thuû tuïc ngaén goïn hôn, thì khi thoâng baùo ñôn khôûi toá chieáu theo quy taéc cuûa ñieàu 1676~1, vò Ñaïi Dieän Tö phaùp phaûi yeâu caàu beân ñaõ khoâng kyù vaøo ñôn cho toøa aùn bieát laø coù muoán lieân keát vôùi thænh nguyeän ñaõ ñeä trình vaø coù tham gia vaøo vuï aùn hay khoâng. Moãi khi caàn thieát, vò ñaïi dieän tö phaùp phaûi môøi beân hoaëc caùc beân ñaõ kyù vaøo thænh nguyeän ñôn vaø boå tuùc ñaày ñuû ñôn sôùm heát söùc coù theå chieáu theo quy taéc cuûa ñ. 1684.
Khoaûn 16. Vò Ñaïi Dieän tö phaùp coù theå töï chæ ñònh mình laøm döï thaåm; nhöng chöøng naøo coù theå neân chæ ñònh moät döï thaåm thuoäc giaùo phaän goác cuûa vuï kieän.
Khoaûn 17. Khi ra leänh trieäu taäp ra toøa chieáu theo ñ. 1685, caùc beân phaûi ñöôïc thoâng baùo ñeå, ít laø ba ngaøy tröôùc khi baét ñaàu giai ñoaïn thaåm vaán, coù theå ñeä trình nhöõng lyù chöùng maø döïa vaøo ñoù caùc caùc beân hay caùc nhaân chöùng ñöôïc thaåm vaán, tröø khi nhöõng ñieåm naøy ñaõ ñöôïc ñính keøm vaøo thænh nguyeän ñôn.
Khoaûn 18
1. Caùc beân vaø caùc luaät sö cuûa hoï coù theå tham döï cuoäc thaåm vaán caùc beân kia vaø caùc nhaân chöùng, tröø khi vì nhöõng hoaøn caûnh naøo ñoù, döï thaåm xeùt phaûi tieán haønh caùch khaùc.
2. Caùc caâu traû lôøi cuûa caùc beân vaø cuûa caùc nhaân chöùng phaûi ñöôïc coâng chöùng vieân ghi laïi baèng vaên baûn, nhöng moät caùch toùm taét vaø chæ ghi laïi nhöõng gì lieân quan chuû yeáu ñeán chính vaán ñeà hoân nhaân ñang baøn caõi.
Khoaûn 19. Neáu vuï aùn ñöôïc thaåm vaán taïi moät toøa aùn lieân giaùo phaän, Giaùm Muïc phaûi tuyeân boá baûn aùn laø vò cuûa nôi maø thaåm quyeàn ñöôïc thieát laäp theo tinh thaàn cuûa ñ. 1672. Neáu coù nhieàu vò, thì heát söùc coù theå giöõ nguyeân taéc gaàn guõi giöõa caùc beân vaø thaåm phaùn.
Khoaûn 20
1. Giaùm Muïc giaùo phaän aán ñònh caùch thöùc tuyeân boá baûn aùn tuøy theo söï khoân ngoan cuûa mình.
2. Baûn aùn, ñöôïc kyù bôûi giaùm muïc vôùi xaùc nhaän cuûa coâng chöùng vieân, phaûi trình baøy vaén taét vaø maïch laïc nhöõng lyù do daãn ñeán quyeát ñònh, vaø thöôøng phaûi ñöôïc thoâng baùo cho caùc beân trong thôøi haïn moät thaùng keå töø ngaøy ra quyeát ñònh.
Muïc VI. Toá tuïng döïa treân taøi lieäu
Khoaûn 21. Giaùm Muïc giaùo phaän vaø vò Ñaïi Dieän ñöôïc xaùc ñònh thaåm quyeàn theo quy taéc cuûa ñieàu 1672.
(Chuyeån dòch Vieät ngöõ do Lm. JB Leâ Ngoïc Duõng
Ñaïi Dieän Tö Phaùp Gp. Nha Trang)
The way of proceeding in cases
regarding the declaration
of the nullity of a marriage
The Third General Assembly of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, held in October of 2014, looked into the difficulty the faithful have in approaching church tribunals. Since the bishop, as a good shepherd, must attend to his poor faithful who need particular pastoral care, and given the sure collaboration of the successor of Peter with the bishops in spreading familiarity with the law, it has seemed opportune to offer, together with the detailed norms for the application to the matrimonial process, some tools for the work of the tribunals to respond to the needs of the faithful who seek that the truth about the existence or non-existence of the bond of their failed marriage be declared.
Art. 1. The bishop, under can. 383, ~1 is obliged, with an apostolic spirit, to attend to separated or divorced spouses who perhaps, by the conditions of their lives, have abandoned religious practice. He thus shares, together with the parochis (cf. can. 529, ~1), the pastoral solicitude for these faithful in difficulties.
Art. 2. The pre-judicial or pastoral inquiry, which in the context of diocesan and parish structures receives those separated or divorced faithful who have doubts regarding the validity of their marriage or are convinced of its nullity, is, in the end, directed toward understanding their situation and to gathering the material useful for the eventual judicial process, be it the ordinary or the briefer one. This inquiry will be developed within the unified diocesan pastoral care of marriage.
Art. 3. This same inquiry is entrusted to persons deemed suitable by the local ordinary, with the appropriate expertise, though not exclusively juridical-canonical. Among them in the first place is the parochus or the one who prepared the spouses for the wedding celebration. This function of counseling can also be entrusted to other clerics, religious or lay people approved by the local ordinary.
One diocese, or several together, according to the present groupings, can form a stable structure through which to provide this service and, if appropriate, a handbook (vademecum) containing the elements essential to the most appropriate way of conducting the inquiry.
Art. 4. The pastoral inquiry will collect elements useful for the introduction of the case before the competent tribunal either by the spouses or perhaps by their advocates. It is necessary to discover whether the parties are in agreement about petitioning nullity.
Art. 5. Once all the elements have been collected, the inquiry culminates in the libellus, which, if appropriate, is presented to the competent tribunal.
Art. 6. Since the code of canon law must be applied in all matters, without prejudice to special norms, even the matrimonial processes in accord with can.1691, ~3, the present ratio does not intend to explain in detail a summary of the whole process, but more specifically to illustrate the main legislative changes and, where appropriate, to complete it.
Title I - The Competent Forums and the Tribunals
Art. 7
1. The titles of competence in can. 1672 are the same, observing in as much as possible the principle of proximity between the judges and the parties.
2. Through the cooperation between tribunals mentioned in can. 1418, care is to be taken that everyone, parties or witnesses, can participate in the process at a minimum of cost.
Art. 8
1. In dioceses which lack their own tribunals, the bishop should take care that, as soon as possible, persons are formed who can zealously assist in setting up marriage tribunals, even by means of courses in well-established and continuous institutions sponsored by the diocese or in cooperation with groupings of dioceses and with the assistance of the Apostolic See.
2. The bishop can withdraw from an interdiocesan tribunal constituted in accordance with can. 1423.
Title II - The Right to Challenge a Marriage
Art. 9. If a spouse dies during the process with the case not yet concluded, the instance is suspended until the other spouse or another person, who is interested, insists upon its continuation; in this case, a legitimate interest must be proven.
Title III - The Introduction and Instruction of Cases
Art. 10. The judge can admit an oral petition whenever a party is prevented from presenting a libellus: however, the judge himself orders the notary to draw up the act in writing that must be read to the party and approved, which takes the place of the libellus written by the party for all effects of law.
Art. 11
1. The libellus is presented to the diocesan or interdiocesan tribunal which has been chosen according to the norm of can. 1673, ~2.
2. A respondent who remits himself or herself to the justice of the tribunal, or, when properly cited, once more, makes no response, is deemed not to object to the petition.
Title IV - The Sentence, Its Appeals and Effect
Art. 12. To achieve the moral certainty required by law, a preponderance of proofs and indications is not sufficient, but it is required that any prudent doubt of making an error, in law or in fact, is excluded, even if the mere possibility of the contrary is not removed.
Art. 13. If a party expressly declares that he or she objects to receiving any notices about the case, that party is held to have renounced of the faculty of receiving a copy of the sentence. In this case, that party may be notified of the dispositive part of the sentence.
Title V - The Briefer Matrimonial Process before the Bishop
Art. 14
1. Among the circumstances of things and persons that can allow a case for nullity of marriage to be handled by means of the briefer process according to cann. 1683-1687, are included, for example: the defect of faith which can generate simulation of consent or error that determines the will; a brief conjugal cohabitation; an abortion procured to avoid procreation; an obstinate persistence in an extraconjugal relationship at the time of the wedding or immediately following it; the deceitful concealment of sterility, or grave contagious illness, or children from a previous relationship, or incarcerations; a cause of marriage completely extraneous to married life, or consisting of the unexpected pregnancy of the woman, physical violence inflicted to extort consent, the defect of the use of reason which is proved by medical documents, etc.
2. Among the documents supporting this petition are included all medical records that can clearly render useless the requirement of an ex officio expert.
Art. 15. If the libellus was presented to introduce the ordinary process, but the judicial vicar believes the case may be treated with the briefer process, he is, in the notification of the libellus according to can. 1676, ~1, to invite the respondent who has not signed the libellus to make known to the tribunal whether he or she intends to enter and take an interest in the process. As often as is necessary, he invites the party or parties who have signed the libellus to complete it as soon as possible according to the norm of can. 1684.
Art. 16. The judicial vicar can designate himself as an instructor; but to the extent possible, he is to name an instructor from the diocese where the case originated.
Art. 17. In issuing the citation in accordance with can. 1685, the parties are informed that, if possible, they are to make available, at least three days prior to the session for the instruction of the case, those specific points of the matter upon which the parties or the witnesses are to be questioned, unless they are attached to the libellus.
Art. 18
1. The parties and their advocates can be present for the examination of other parties and witnesses unless the instructor, on account of circumstances of things and persons, decides to proceed otherwise.
2. The responses of the parties and witnesses are to be rendered in writing by the notary, but in a summary way and only that which refers to the substance of the disputed marriage.
Art. 19. If the case is instructed at an interdiocesan tribunal, the bishop who is to pronounce the sentence is the one of that place according to the competence established in accordance with can. 1672. If there are several, the principle of proximity between the parties and the judge is observed as far as possible.
Art. 20
1. The diocesan bishop determines according to his own prudence the way in which to pronounce the sentence.
2. The sentence which is signed by the bishop and certified by the notary, briefly and concisely explains the reasons for the decision and ordinarily the parties are notified within one month of the day of the decision.
Title VI - The Documentary Process
Art. 21. The competent diocesan bishop and the judicial vicar are determined in accordance with can. 1672.
Francis