Pope offers Good Shepherd as model to Church justice system

November 08, 2013 - The figure of the Good Shepherd bending over His lost and wounded sheep must be the model of those who serve in the justice system of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis made the exhortation on Friday to over 50 members of the Vatican’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, who held their plenary assembly on the role of the so-called “Defender of the Bond’, the lawyer who defends the validity of a marriage in annulment cases. The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the supreme court of the Catholic Church. The Vatican’s Roman Rota instead is the ordinary court of appeal for cases referred to the Holy See, especially with regard to marriage annulment cases. It is the task of the Apostolic Signatura to ensure that there be ecclesiastical tribunals in every territory and that their ministry satisfies the legitimate demands of the faithful for a speedy and simple execution of their marriage annulment cases. In his talk to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Pope focussed on some aspects of marriage annulment and the role of the so-called “Defender of the Bond’ or marriage bond. The Pope said one who administers justice in the Church, cannot do so indifferently like a pencil pusher, especially when it concerns delicate issues such as marriage annulment cases. He underscored the important role of the Defender saying his presence and intervention are necessary for cases to go ahead, while at the same time he must provide every type of evidence, exception, complaint and appeal to serve the truth in order to defend the marriage bond. The Pope reminded the members that those engaged in the ministry of justice in the Church, act in the name of the Church and hence are part of the Church. They must always keep alive the link between the action of the Church which evangelizes and action of the Church which administers justice. The Defender is called to harmonize the prescriptions of the Code of Canon Law with the concrete situations of the Church and of society.