Pope says marriage annulments shouldn´t be easy

Pope Benedict XVI called on the Vatican court which rules on marriage annulments to take a strict line.

Pope Benedict XVI called Friday on the Vatican court which rules on marriage annulments to take a strict line, saying the point of Church laws was to save souls.

Catholics who have marriages annulled are allowed to remarry in church and take communion, unlike those who are divorced by civilian courts.

But the pontiff said Vatican judges must not seek to satisfy ''subjective demands'' in order to arrive at an annulment ''at any price.''

He was speaking at an audience for judges of the Roman Rota, the Church's highest appeal court, whose caseload is dominated by people petitioning for a decree of nullity.

- Marriage enjoys the favour of law. Therefore, in case of doubt, it should be ruled as valid until proof to the contrary - the pope said.

''Otherwise, one runs the grave risk of having no objective reference point to pronounce on nullity, turning every conjugal difficulty into a symptom of the failure of a union whose essential legal core -- the indissoluble link -- is thus denied.''

''Some people maintain that pastoral charity can justify every step toward the declaration of nullity in order to help those who find themselves in an irregular matrimonial situation.''

The truth, the pope said, could thus be instrumentalised and ''adapted from time to time to the various demands that may arise.''

''In the Church, the aim of judicial activity is the salvation of souls.''

The pontiff also urged lawyers to ''scrupulously avoid'' taking on cases ''which their conscience could not objectively support.''

Figures released by the Vatican show 192 marriage annulments pronounced in 2008.

The Catholic Church operates some 3,000 ecclesiastical courts of first and second instance around the world, although it is possible for an individual to appeal any initial decision directly to the Rota.