Pope Francis ordered a modification of the structure of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the old Holy Office, dividing it into a Doctrinal and a Disciplinary section, which deals with procedures for the clergy, such as cases of pederasty, with the aim of “promoting a correct administration of Justice”.
The Vatican published today the “motu proprio” (papal document) with which the structure of the congregation is modified “in view of the need to give it a more adequate approach to the fulfillment of functions,” he says.
For a long time, the numerous cases against priests, especially sexual abuse of minors by the clergy, had been arriving at the Congregation and accumulating delays in their management, in addition to the need for specialized personnel.
For this reason, although the pope does not mention it, it has become necessary to separate the part that will deal with “matters related to the promotion and protection of the doctrine of faith and morals” from that related to “infractions.”
“The Disciplinary Section, through the Disciplinary Office, will deal with crimes reserved to the Congregation and dealt with by it through the jurisdiction of the Supreme Apostolic Court,” reads the papal document.
“His task is to prepare and elaborate the procedures provided for by the canonical norms so that the Congregation, in its various instances (Prefect, Secretary, Promoter of Justice, Congress, Ordinary Session) for the examination of resources in matters of ‘delicta graviora’ (more serious crimes) can promote a better administration of Justice”, it is explained.
To this end, it is added in the document, this section “will promote the appropriate training initiatives that the Congregation offers to Ordinaries and jurists, to promote a correct understanding and application of the canonical norms related to their own sphere of competence.”
In this way, the Doctrinal section will be dedicated “to all matters related to the promotion and protection of the doctrine of faith and morals and to studies aimed at developing the understanding and transmission of faith at the service of evangelization.”
As well as this section “will prepare the examination of the documents that must be published by other dicasteries of the Roman Curia”.
The Matrimonial Office will also belong to this section, which has been created to examine everything that refers to the “privilegium fidei”, that is to say, marriage annulments. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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