Podstawowe założenia reformy kanonicznego procesu małżeńskiego w motu proprio Franciszka „Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus”

Pope Francis issued two Apostolic Letters motu proprio on Tuesday, in which he introduced reforms to the legal structures of the Church, which deal with questions of marital nullity. One of the Letters motu proprio, known by its Latin title, Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus – or “The Lord Jesus, Clement Judge” – reforms the Code of Canon Law (CIC) governing the Lat-in Church, while the other, Mitis et misericors Iesus or “Clement and merciful Jesus” – reforms the Code of Canon Law for Oriental Churches (CCEO). The Holy Father in the preface explains that the reforms are guided by eight specific criteria. Indeed, the prefatory remarks make clear from the very start that the single most important principle guiding the Holy Father’s action and the work of reform undertaken, is that of salus animarum – the salvation of souls – which is the suprema Ecclesiae lex – the supreme law of the Church.