Leo XIV received this Friday in the Apostolic Palace the participants of the juridical-pastoral formation course promoted by the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. In an extensive speech, the Pontiff emphasized the importance of the judicial ministry in the Church, especially in the field of marriage nullity cases, ten years after the reform promoted by Francis.
The Holy Father developed a reflection on the relationship between theology, law, and pastoral care, a relationship that, as he warned, “is too often conceived as separate compartments,” when in reality they form part of the same reality at the service of truth.
The judicial function: service of truth in the Church
Leo XIV insisted that ecclesiastical jurisdiction is not a mere technical mechanism, but an expression of the sacred power of pastors, understood—as taught by Vatican II—as authentic service. The judicial function, he affirmed, is a “diaconia of truth” that helps the faithful and families to understand their ecclesial situation and to walk uprightly in Christian life.
In this context, he recalled the original inspiration of Francis’s reform, contained in the Motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (for the Latin Church) and Mitis et Misericors Iesus (for the Eastern Churches), where Christ appears as Judge “meek and merciful.” The Pope clarified that this mercy “cannot manipulate justice” nor justify decisions that obscure the truth of the marital bond. On the contrary, true mercy—quoting St. Augustine—consists in alleviating suffering without compromising justice.
From this perspective, he explained, the marriage nullity process is not a cold procedure nor a pastoral obstacle, but a true act of mercy, provided that it serves the truth and is exercised without false concessions.
Marriage: a reality founded by God, not an abstract ideal
The Pope then delved deeper into the theological foundation of the process: marriage itself. He recalled, following Gaudium et spes, that the conjugal bond “is not an ideal,” but the canon of true love between man and woman: total, faithful, and fruitful. It is not a subjective aspiration, but an objective reality founded by God.
For this reason—he added—the ecclesiastical judge must discern rigorously whether in a specific union the mystery of the “one flesh” truly existed, the unity that remains throughout the spouses’ life even when the human relationship has failed. The purpose of the trial is not to satisfy personal interests, but to serve the truth of the bond, the foundation of the family as the domestic Church.
The judicial process is also pastoral
Leo XIV asked to value the canonical process as a good for the Church and for the faithful, far from the idea that it is a bureaucratic apparatus. He explained that guaranteeing the parties the possibility of presenting evidence, knowing the other’s arguments, and receiving a sentence from an impartial judge is a concrete form of justice and peace.
He recognized the usefulness of mediation, reconciliation, and convalidation of marriage when possible, but recalled that in nullity cases “the matter is not available to the parties,” because it affects a public good of the Church.
He highlighted the greater awareness existing today about the necessary integration between family pastoral care and judicial activity, noting that the preliminary inquiry— an instrument recommended by Francis’s reform—has allowed uniting accompaniment, discernment, and juridical rigor.
The supreme law: the salvation of souls
In the final part of the speech, Leo XIV took up a key idea from St. John Paul II: juridical activity in the Church is pastoral by nature, because it participates in the mission of Christ the Pastor. Both the pastoral ministry and the judicial one, he insisted, must always be exercised with justice, charity, and prudence.
Finally, he reaffirmed that the ecclesiological, juridical, and pastoral dimensions converge in the ultimate end of the marriage process: the salus animarum, the salvation of souls. To the judges, auditors, and other officials, he recalled the greatness of their responsibility and encouraged them to let “the truth of justice shine more and more in the life of the Church.”
The Pope concluded by imparting his blessing to all the participants.
We leave below the complete message of Leo XIV:
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
Good morning, good morning, buongiorno. Welcome everyone!
I extend to each of you my cordial greeting. I thank the Dean of the Roman Rota and all those who have collaborated in these days of study and reflection, aimed at promoting a solid juridical culture in the Church. I am pleased by your numerous and qualified presence, as a generous response to the call that every good operator of Church law feels for the good of souls.
The theme that guides us today is the tenth anniversary of the reform of the marriage nullity process, carried out by Pope Francis. In his last speech to the Rota, on January 31, he spoke of the intentions and main novelties of that reform. Referring to the words of my beloved predecessor, on this occasion I would like to offer you some reflections inspired by the title of your course: “Ten years after the reform of the canonical marriage process. Ecclesiological, juridical, and pastoral dimension.”
It seems useful to me to consider the relationship that exists between these three approaches. This relationship is often forgotten, since theology, law, and pastoral care are usually conceived as separate compartments. In fact, it is quite common for them to be implicitly contrasted with each other, as if a more theological or more pastoral approach implied less juridical content, and vice versa, as if a more juridical approach were to the detriment of the other two aspects. Thus, the harmony that emerges when the three dimensions are considered as parts of the same reality is obscured.
The scant perception of this interconnection comes mainly from considering the juridical reality of marriage nullity processes as a merely technical field, which would interest exclusively specialists, or as a means oriented solely to obtaining the free status of persons. This is a superficial vision, which leaves aside both the ecclesiological presuppositions of those processes and their pastoral relevance.
Among those ecclesiological presuppositions, I would like to mention especially two: the first, relative to the sacred power exercised in ecclesial judicial processes at the service of truth; and the second, referring to the object of the marriage nullity declaration process, that is, the mystery of the conjugal covenant.
The judicial function, as a way of exercising the power of governance or jurisdiction, is an integral part of the global reality of the sacred power of pastors in the Church. This reality is conceived by the Second Vatican Council as a service. We read in Lumen gentium: “The office that the Lord entrusted to the pastors of his people is a true service, which in Sacred Scripture is significantly called ‘diaconía,’ that is, ministry (cf. Acts 1:17.25; 21:19; Rom 11:13; 1 Tim 1:12)” (n. 24). In judicial power, a fundamental aspect of pastoral service acts: the diaconia of truth. Every faithful, every family, every community needs the truth about their own ecclesial situation to walk well the path of faith and charity. In this context is situated the truth about personal and community rights: the juridical truth declared in ecclesial processes is an aspect of existential truth in the ambit of the Church.
Sacred power is participation in the authority of Christ, and its service to truth is a path to know and welcome the ultimate Truth, who is Christ himself (cf. Jn 14:6). It is no coincidence that the first words of the two Motu proprio with which the reform began refer to Jesus, Judge and Pastor: “Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus, Pastor animarum nostrarum” in the Latin text, and “Mitis et Misericors Iesus, Pastor et Iudex animarum nostrarum” in the Eastern text.
We can ask ourselves why Jesus as Judge has been presented in these documents as meek and merciful. Such consideration might seem, at first glance, contrary to the unavoidable demands of justice, which cannot be ignored in virtue of a misunderstood compassion. It is true that in God’s judgment on salvation his forgiveness of the repentant sinner is always present, but human judgment on marriage nullity cannot, however, be manipulated by a false mercy. Any activity that opposes the service of the process to truth must be considered unjust. However, it is precisely in the upright exercise of judicial power that true mercy must be practiced. We can recall a passage from St. Augustine in The City of God: “What is mercy but a certain compassion of our heart for the misery of another, by which, if we can, we are impelled to relieve it? And this movement is useful to reason when mercy is offered in such a way that it preserves justice, both in helping the needy and in forgiving the penitent.” [1] In light of this, the marriage nullity process can be considered a contribution from legal operators to satisfy the need for justice so deeply rooted in the conscience of the faithful, and thus to carry out a just work motivated by true mercy. The goal of the reform—to make the process more accessible and expeditious, but never at the cost of truth—thus appears as a manifestation of justice and mercy.
Another specific theological presupposition of the marriage nullity process is marriage itself, as it was founded by the Creator (cf. Gaudium et spes, 48). On the occasion of the Jubilee of Families, I recalled that “marriage is not an ideal, but the measure of true love between man and woman: a love that is total, faithful, and fruitful.” [2] As Pope Francis emphasized, marriage “is a reality with a precise consistency,” “it is a gift from God to spouses.” [3] In the Preamble of Mitis Iudex, the “doctrine of the indissolubility of the sacred marriage bond” is reaffirmed in the context of procedural reform. [4] In the treatment of nullity cases, this realism is decisive: the awareness of working at the service of the truth of a specific union, discerning before the Lord whether in it the mystery of the una caro, one flesh, is present, which subsists forever in the earthly life of the spouses, despite any relational failure. Dear friends, what a great responsibility awaits you! In fact, as Pope Benedict XVI reminded us, “the canonical process of marriage nullity is essentially an instrument to determine the truth about the conjugal bond. Its constitutive purpose […] is, therefore, to render a service to the truth.” [5]
For this reason, Pope Francis himself, in the Preamble of the Motu proprio, clarifying the meaning of the reform, wanted to reaffirm the great convenience of resorting to the judicial process in nullity cases: “We have acted following in the footsteps of our predecessors, who wanted marriage nullity cases to be handled by judicial and not administrative means, not because the nature of the matter requires it, but because of the incomparable need to safeguard to the maximum degree the truth of the sacred bond: something ensured by the guarantees of the judicial order.” [6]
The institution of the judicial process must be valued, seeing it not as a cumbersome accumulation of procedural requirements, but as an instrument of justice. In fact, structuring a case so that the parties—including the defender of the bond—can present evidence and arguments in support of their position, and can know and evaluate the elements contributed by the other party, in a debate conducted and concluded by an impartial judge, constitutes a great good for all those involved and for the Church itself. It is true that, especially in the Church, as also in civil society, agreements must be sought that, guaranteeing justice, resolve disputes through mediation and conciliation. Very important in this sense is the effort to favor reconciliation between spouses, even resorting, when possible, to the convalidation of marriage. However, there are cases in which it is necessary to resort to the process, because the matter is not available to the parties. This is what happens in the declaration of marriage nullity, where a public ecclesial good is involved. It is an expression of the service of the pastors’ power to the truth of the indissoluble conjugal bond, the foundation of the family which is the domestic Church. Behind the procedural technique, with the faithful application of the current norms, are at stake the ecclesiological presuppositions of the marriage process: the search for truth and salus animarum itself. Forensic deontology, centered on the truth of what is just, must inspire all legal operators, each in their own role, to participate in that work of justice and true peace to which the process is directed.
The ecclesiological and juridical dimensions, if truly lived, reveal the pastoral dimension. First of all, in recent times the awareness has grown of the inclusion of the Church’s judicial activity in the matrimonial field within family pastoral care as a whole. This pastoral care cannot ignore or underestimate the work of ecclesiastical tribunals, and these must not forget that their specific contribution to justice is a piece in the task of promoting the good of families, with particular attention to those going through difficulties. This task corresponds to everyone in the Church: to pastors and also to other faithful, particularly to those who collaborate in the administration of justice. The synergy between pastoral attention to critical situations and the judicial sphere has found significant expression in the implementation of the preliminary inquiry, also intended to verify the existence of grounds for initiating a nullity case.
On the other hand, the process itself has pastoral value. St. John Paul II expressed it in these terms: “Juridical-canonical activity is pastoral by its own nature. It constitutes a particular participation in the mission of Christ, the Pastor, and consists in making real the order of intra-ecclesial justice willed by Christ himself. Pastoral activity, for its part, although it far surpasses juridical aspects, always includes a dimension of justice. In fact, it would be impossible to lead souls toward the Kingdom of Heaven without that minimum of love and prudence that consists in the effort to faithfully observe the law and the rights of all in the Church.” [7]
In short, the three dimensions mentioned lead us to reaffirm salus animarum as the supreme law and the purpose of marriage processes in the Church. In this way, your service as ministers of justice in the Church—a service that I myself performed some years ago—reveals its great ecclesiological, juridical, and pastoral transcendence.
In expressing my desire that the truth of justice shine more and more in the Church and in your lives, I impart my Blessing from the heart.
[1] IX, 5: PL, 41, 261.
[2] Homily for the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly, June 1, 2025.
[3] Francis, Address to the Roman Rota, January 27, 2023.
[4] Francis, Motu Proprio Mitis Iudex, Preamble.
[5] Benedict XVI, Address to the Roman Rota, January 28, 2006, AAS 98 (2006), p. 136.
[6] Francis, Motu proprio Mitis Iudex, Preamble.
[7] St. John Paul II, Address to the Roman Rota, January 18, 1990, n. 4.