Tribunal reaches milestone in helping faithful return
By Chris Donahue
Staff Writer
For the last 20 years, staff of the diocese’s Tribunal have seen a lot of changes in the way married couples relate to one another, and the way that the world regards marriage. Divorce rates have skyrocketed and the willingness to work out marriage difficulties on the part of one or both parties has waned.
But one thing that has not changed is the ministry’s principal mission of bringing people back to the Church.
Quietly marking its 20th anniversary Sept. 17, the Tribunal was established by then-Bishop Theodore E. McCarrick for the three-year-old diocese, mainly to deal with marriage cases, ruling on petitions for annulments, according to Father Richard J. Lyons, judicial vicar and a charter member of the office.
Bishop McCarrick referred to the Tribunal, which now has its offices in the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Piscataway, as the “ministry of reconciliation.”
“A lot of people see it (Tribunal) as pure legalism and a lot of paperwork,” said Father Lyons, who also handles other matters regarding canonical law as assigned by the bishop. “But what we try to do is to reconcile people — to the Church— who have suffered the pain of divorce and the ramifications of it and want to get back to some kind of active faith life. Or they’re married again and they want their marriage validated because until that happens they can’t receive Communion.”
For an annulment, the process should begin in a person’s parish, Father Lyons said.
“I want them to develop a relationship with their priest or deacon because if the annulment is granted, then they most likely go to that parish for validation for their new marriage,” he said. “But if there’s any reluctance, or as in many instances, they’re not registered any place because they don’t go to church because they can’t receive Communion, then they start with us.”
An application to the Tribunal costs $475, said Barbara J. Reavey, one of three full-time auditors.
She explained that it is the auditor’s responsibility to conduct the initial interviews and collect the necessary paperwork from each applicant. Some of the information required includes marriage history, what their parents’ marriage was like and psychological counseling if applicable.
A case is then assigned to a judge. In addition to Father Lyons, there are several associate judicial vicars who are also assigned cases.
The Tribunal’s decisions vary because each case is different, but generally it takes between eight and 12 months, Father Lyons said.
Reflecting on the ever-rising divorce rate and the complicated factors contributing to it, Father Lyons suggested that one cause might be couples’ poor understanding of the sacramental nature of marriage.
“They don’t realize how much it takes to sustain an adult, human relationship of that magnitude because it goes to the sense of commitment. It goes to the sense of what it means to be a man and a woman,” he said.
“What I’ve discovered over the years in reading the cases is personal satisfaction seems to have become a major concern on the part of an awful lot of people. (A spouse might say) ‘If you don’t make me happy,’ or ‘I’m not happy in this relationship for whatever reason, good, bad or indifferent, I’m not going to stick it out.’”
The Tribunal received 155 cases in 2003; 140 judgments were rendered, some of which could have been left over from the previous year, Reavey said. Annulments were granted in about 99 percent of the judgments in 2003 and a similar percentage of annulments have been made each year since the Tribunal was founded, she said.
Less than 250 cases were received each year in the 1980s, when the Tribunal’s staff was about half of its current size, Reavey noted.
Another change since 1984 that has impacted on the work of the Tribunal has been a growing Hispanic population. To meet that need, the diocese now has two Spanish-speaking auditors, Sara T. Acevedo and Oscar Schnaith.
Serving members of the Hispanic community has added difficulties, said Acevedo, a resident of Perth Amboy for 24 years and a member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish there.
It is believed, she said, that many cases aren’t heard because of the language barrier and an unfounded fear by some, especially undocumented immigrants, that there are legal implications.
Those who don’t speak English shouldn’t be reluctant to seek the Tribunal’s advice or file a petition for an annulment because it’s confidential and there is someone who can accompany them through the whole process, whether it’s helping them write the documents in Spanish or the need for an interpreter, she said.
The Tribunal is also the opposite of what one applicant had expected to deal with: an imposing panel of judges presiding over proceedings in a darkened room, she said.
“I see this as a ministry,” Acevedo said.“I know this is not a counseling session. The healing is coming from the realization that God is there for them. I think the least we can do is facilitate that environment of welcoming and not judging anyone and not making anyone feel guilty.”
Msgr. John R. Torney, 93, who is retired, worked as an auditor in the Tribunal from 1985 to 1998. During a recent visit to the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Msgr. Torney said he enjoyed the work because he liked helping people.
“It was a joy knowing someone could participate in the Sacraments again. Many people had great misunderstandings about things such as when or if they could attend Mass,” he said.
Reavey said an auditor’s job is “fascinating and interesting.” Many cases are difficult to read and hear about, but after the process, Reavey said she is gratified to see people “in a better place.”
Reavey added, “They’re trying to get reconciled with the Church, in the marriage they’re presently in or to enter a new marriage and you’re helping them move to that place and put the past behind them.”
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law