Preparation for marriage is not just for the wedding day when family and friends gather to witness and celebrate the commitment the bride and groom make to each other; it is preparation for the day-to-day relationship the husband and wife will live throughout their married life whereby their lives, through the Sacrament they receive, will become a witness to others of Christ’s love for His Church.
The Parish community of St. Charles – Milan - has made a commitment to support married couples in living out their Sacrament during their journey through married life by providing an on going enrichment process to aid them in the journey toward realizing their relationships potential. Responsible participation in this process is an indication of the serious understanding of the commitment underlying their relationship.
Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage requires about six months or more of preparation time.
Click the appropriate sections for information and answers to questions you may have.
Contact: 812-654-7015
In regards to Marriage – The pope is very in tuned with current lack of formation of many Catholics who enter matrimony within and without of the Church. He is very aware of many who get married in the church with out of convenience an immediate obtaining of grace that is not informed to get married in the Church but in reality fully ignorant of her teachings. He understands our teachings are right, true and good. He wishes not to change them and desires a greater informing and authentic conversion by all who receive the beauty and grace filled power and strength of sacramental marriage. A marriage which is graces and empowers the two to infidelity and indissoluble marriage that is open to life and love and by the two unconditional and merciful love as soul mates. He is humble and wise enough to live the final judgment of any separation of sacramental marriage to God. He is human enough to make the lives of the divorce of sacramental marriages open to Gods grace and the church discernments and only wishes to:
Synopsis of Marriage Reforms
Gary Taylor D. Min.
Following is a simplified synopsis of the actions of the Pope to make marriage annulments more efficient, economical and guided by the eternal. Being communicated are many misconceptions and misreporting - The Catholic doctrine on marriage and indissolubility has not and will no
t change:
· Pope Francis’ reforms are procedural changes and not changes in Church teachings nor even changes in substantive canonical law or jurisprudence for marriage cases.
· Pope Francis is not establishing new grounds for marriage nullity.
· Pope Francis did not make the standard for declaring a marriage null easier.
· Pope Francis is not eliminating second-instance courts it is simply not mandatory.
· Pope Francis is not requiring a total dropping of tribunal fees. Rather, he encourages that the process be made as free as possible, taking into consideration the just and decent wages of those who work in the tribunals. Thus, an appropriate filing fee is permitted and appropriate in justice.
· Pope Francis is making the investigative process more efficient and accessible.
· Pope Francis is not changing the grounds for determining whether or not a marriage was entered into validly. The grounds remain the same.
There are several new developments that these reforms are implementing, as well as some things in the documents that are being missed by many:
· The biggest change in the declaration-of-nullity process is the addition of a “shorter process,” by which a diocesan bishop is allowed to determine the case himself. Application can be made to the diocesan bishop for his determination. A party retains the right to appeal the decision to the metropolitan (archdiocesan) court or to the Roman Rota.
· What may be missed amid all of the controversy is the appeal of the Pope to the local — i.e., parish and deanery — level for people to assist in the process. The document envisions training local personnel to assist the parties as they prepare for and enter into the process.
· They will now allow for a diocese, due to personnel shortages, to appeal to the conference of bishops for the permission to use a single judge who is a cleric for marriage-nullity cases. This option is usually granted to tribunals. A party is always free to request a collegiate tribunal, and an appellate tribunal must always use at least a three-judge panel.
· It will allow now more than one lay person on the judgeship. It will allow a panel of lay judges to decide the case so long as one of the judges is a cleric. The presumption is that the clerical judge still is the one who serves as the presiding judge (ponens). This can help in the staffing of tribunals and in dealing with backlogs.
· It allows a technical change where only one testimony of one witness is sufficient to constitute full proof.
It adds a spiritual dimension to the document opening it up more deeply to the transcendence in the discerning. The Marian dimension of the document, not so much in its words or content, but in the dates — it was signed by Pope Francis on the Solemnity of the Assumption (Aug. 15); released on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sept. 8); and will take effect on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8). May the Blessed Virgin, in her maternal protection, watch over the Church, marriage and families as these reforms are implemented.
Marriage Preparation Policy