Marriages Should Be Assumed Valid, Says Pope

ROME, JAN. 29, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Noting the large number of people in "irregular marriage situations," Benedict XVI is cautioning the members of the Church's highest marriage tribunal to consider marriages valid until proven the contrary.

The Pope also warned the members of false charity when he gave his annual address to the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

Truth "cannot be contrary to charity," he told the court representatives, who deal primarily with appeals in nullity cases.

There must be no yielding to a "false charity," the Pontiff urged, since this would not protect the true good of the spouses.

"Some believe that pastoral charity might justify any step toward declaring null the marital bond, to meet persons who are in an irregular marital situation," he acknowledged. However, this makes truth tend to be "seen from an instrumental point of view, which adapts it now and then to the different needs that present themselves."

"The problem is posed when the very essence of marriage is more or less obscured," he added, explaining that "the existential, personalist and relational consideration of conjugal union can never be done in defiance of indissolubility, an essential property" of Christian marriage.

Otherwise, Benedict XVI observed, "one runs the grave risk of remaining without an objective point of reference for pronouncements on annulment, transforming every conjugal difficulty into a symptom of non-realization of a union whose essential nucleus of justice -- the indissoluble bond -- is negated in fact."

In this connection, the Holy Father exhorted the magistrates, who handle cases of annulment, to the "virtue of fortitude," which "becomes more relevant when injustice seems to be the easiest way to follow, in as much as it implies granting the desires and expectations of the parties, or also [conforming] to the conditioning of the social environment."

In particular, he exhorted the members of the tribunal "not only that they focus all their attention on respect for the truth of the proofs," but also that they "avoid with care taking on, as juridical advisers, the backing of causes that, according to their conscience, are not objectively sustainable."

Vatican "Joyful" at Serbian Patriarch Invite

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican spokesman says a proposal from the new patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church to plan a meeting with Benedict XVI is "very encouraging."

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, affirmed this today in response to comments from Patriarch Irinej Gavrilovic.

The 80-year-old patriarch, elected last Friday, gave his first press conference today. He suggested the possibility of organizing an ecumenical event with the Pope in Nis, where Constantine was born. The event would commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, which ended anti-Christian persecution in the Roman Empire.

Father Lombardi told the Belgrade paper Blic that this is a suggestion "we welcome with great joy."

Referring to the predecessor of Patriarch Irinej, Father Lombardi added: "This is a sign that the dialogue that began at the time of Patriarch Pavle will be continued with the new patriarch.

"It would be nice if he would make a step further in order that we meet and see the possibilities for cooperation."

Father Lombardi noted that it is too early to talk about an itinerary for what could be a 2013 papal visit to Serbia, but he assured that the Holy See is following the situation with great interest.

The patriarch said at the press conference that a papal visit "could perhaps be the occasion for our two Churches to establish a first contact, and with a bit of luck, to continue this contact and set out on a new path."

He added: "This new path should be Christian and sincere with the desire of establishing one Church of Christ."

The press conference itself was historical because the Serbian patriarchs had not previously used this method of communication.

Postulator's Book Reveals Details of John Paul II

ROME, JAN. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Pope John Paul II was the same in public and in private: "transparent, sincere, integral," according to the postulator of his canonization cause.

Monsignor Slawomir Oder made this reflection Tuesday when he presented a volume that he has written in collaboration with Saverio Gaeta. It presents more than 100 testimonies related to the Polish Pontiff's cause for canonization.

"Why He Is a Saint: The True John Paul II Explained by the Postulator of the Cause of Beatification" was presented in Rome with a presentation from the leader of the Vatican's saint congregation, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins.

The details in the book that grabbed international attention are regarding the Holy Father's practices of mortification, including flagellation and sleeping on the floor.

Cardinal Saraiva Martins, however, highlighted the depth of the Pontiff's prayer. He confessed how overwhelmed he was by the profundity of the Pope's recollection when he invited someone to dine and the visit began with a silent prayer in the private chapel.

"He was as though absorbed in God," the cardinal said. "He was a man of God and his intense prayer was a true evangelization."

The prelate also pointed out the Pope's profound devotion to Mary and mentioned the "joy," the "happiness" that John Paul II felt in the year 2000, after the beatification of the shepherds of Fatima, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, on May 13.

A witness stated that when asked, "Do you see the Virgin?" the Pope answered, "No, but I hear her." Another witness, though, said John Paul II confided that he "saw" her.

The book notes that the Holy Father had a sweet tooth and has other insights into the Pope's personality: He once answered a religious who expressed her "concern" for "Your Holiness": "I am also concerned about my holiness!"

Monsignor Oder highlighted the Pope's "humanity" and his ability to perceive in all persons "the imprint of God."

And Cardinal Saraiva Martins noted that humanity and holiness are one thing: The more holy one is, the more "human" one is.

A cure

Though John Paul II has already been proclaimed venerable -- Benedict XVI approved the recognition of his heroic virtues in December -- a miracle still needs to be confirmed before his beatification.

That means rumors that the beatification is coming in October are still just that: rumors.

Monsignor Oder explained that a case studied by the Vatican was the now well-known cure of Sister Marie Simon-Pierre. The young French nun of the Little Sisters of Catholic Motherhood suffered Parkinson's disease (as did John Paul II).

Monsignor Oder said this case was chosen due to, among other things, its "simplicity."

In the nun's letter explaining her cure, there was "nothing vain," the postulator said, whereas in other cases what was pointed out first is the "holiness" of the person cured.

He further noted how the nun suffered from the same illness as the Pope and, finally, how her cure enabled her to take up her activities again at the service of nascent life, a cause that was dear to John Paul II.