The regional conference of the Ecclesiastical Courts in the Middle East, the first ever of its kind, has convened at the Dead Sea region. The six-day conference, organized by the Ecclesiastical Court of the Latin Patriarchate and the Pontifical Lateran University which is specialized in the teaching of Canon Law, aimed at shedding light on the “novelties” in the activities of the Ecclesiastical Courts with regards to marriage, family and other relevant issues.
The conference was split into two parts. The first part involved a workshop for bishops, priests and judges. This was designed to study the novelties introduced by the Apostolic Letter (Motu Proprio), which is an apostolic document linked to faith, or general affairs, or rather judicial issues. Titled “The Gentle and Merciful Jesus", it deals with undertaking measures without delay when it is “ascertained” that there is a valid reason to nullify the marriage. It is noticed here that the Church does not use the term “divorce”. It rather uses the term “nullification of marriage” in case it is confirmed that there is a reason not known in advance that justifies this measure. In the new apostolic letter a new term was coined, namely, “Petitions to Briefer Process” in case the annulment marriage is valid provided that the local bishop serves as a judge in these cases.
The second and the major part of the conference involved a number of Ecclesiastical judges from Jordan and the Middle Eastern countries (Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon) as well as specialists from Italy. The conference was titled, “The Fifth Annual Canon Law Conference 2016” with the word “regional” added. The lawyers were apprised of the new procedures. Further clarification of great importance was made which indicates that marriage, according to the teachings of the Church, has not undergone any changes with regards to its indissolubility. But the new issue involves acceleration in the annulment proceedings when the parish priest and the local bishop are certain that the annulment of the marriage has valid reasons. It is worthy to note that after the annulment of marriage, the couple can get married another time.
During the course of the conference, the participants were apprised of the Apostolic Exhortations titled, “Amoris Laetitiae” (the Joy of Love) which is the core of studies conducted by bishops of the world over a period of two years. The Amoris Laetitiae deals with marriage and defending the values of family in the mêlée of the moral challenges that shake the world nowadays such as conceiving of children, exploitation of the underage, persecution of minorities, poverty, gay marriages, (which cannot be classified as marriage). The Amoris Laetitiae also undermines the prime importance of receiving children from the hands of the Almighty God and raising them according to the sublime religious laws.
Among most of the beautiful moments which the participants experienced in the conference, held at the lowest point on Earth, is prayer for the family as well as for preserving its unity and harmony in a world abounding with violence, crime and forced displacement. On the other hand, a prayer was recited quoting British St. Thomas More who was a lawyer in the 16th century. He was beheaded when he refused to acknowledge the annulment of King Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The prayer was named “the prayer of the lawyer”. It says: "O Lord, sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients’ tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul." This very prayer echoes the words of Lord Jesus Christ who said: "For what shall it profit a man (as applies to lawyers), if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)
