2017 Annual Report MT

ANNUAL REPORT 2017 

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METROPOLITAN TRIBUNAL & OFFICE OF CANONICAL AFFAIRS 

I. THE JUDICIAL BRANCH (Metropolitan Tribunal) 

ADJUDICATION OF CASES 

The Tribunal continues to reduce 

the number of cases in the 

backlog that were introduced 

before 2015 to just one case. In 

regard to active pending cases, 

96.6% of them have been 

accepted in 2016 and 2017. The 

volume of new cases introduced 

this year increased by 4.25% to 

196 for cases for Declaration of 

Nullity, an additional 10 cases for 

the Dissolution of marriage 

through the Pauline Privilege and 

the Privilege of the Faith and one 

appeal in the Second Instance. 

We adjudicated 239 cases and closed an additional 11 through renunciation, 

abatement or the death of a party and 3 Privileges granted for a total of 253 

cases closed. 

Petition for Nullity 

CASES ACCEPTED IN 2017 

# 

Petition for 

Dissolution 

Ordinary Process 184 

Briefer Process 5 

Documentary Process 7 

Second Instance Appeal 1 

Pauline Privelege 6 

Favor of the Faith 4 

TOTAL 197 10 

#


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Currently for cases accepted since 2015 the average time to adjudication is 1 

year and 2 months. As you can see in the charts provided the time to adjudicate 

cases is being reduced. 

This year the number of cases adjudicated under one year increased by 20% from 

35 cases last year to 42 cases this year. 

We adjudicated 4 cases in the new Abbreviated Ordinary Process in an average of 

5 months. 

[CHART 2]


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POINTS OF CONTACT/SERVICE 

Our staff responded to 1,353 points of service 

with the Parishes and other Dioceses by sending 

out 541 packets for Declarations of Nullity 

Requests, reviewing 432 requests for permissions 

and dispensations and 364 marriage files as well 

as conducting rogatories and reviewing the Acts 

for other dioceses and processing radical 

sanations. In addition to an average of 26 

contacts per day via calls coming into 

the Tribunal. The 541 Preliminary Questionnaires 

can be broken down as follows: [chart 3] 

Preliminary 

Questionnaires Received 

Case Types: 

No. 

Received: 

Pauline 4 


Undetermined 4 

Ordinary Formal 256 

Briefer Formal 5 

Lack of Form y 

258 

[Ligamen & Defect of 

Form] 10 

TOTAL 541 

[chart 3] 

[chart 3]


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2017 TRIBUNAL STATISTICS 

Our current statistics for Tribunal service requests for 2017 is as follows: 

[chart 4] 

In 2017 the volume of cases accepted increased by 4% to 196. Below is the average time for the 

steps in the Ordinary Formal cases. 

[chart 5]


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In 2017 we CONCLUDED 1,285 service requests. Please note that we respond to 

every request, but not every request becomes an open case until all necessary 

paperwork is received. 

CASES CONCLUDED IN 2017 

Service Case Types: 

No. 

Completed: 

Ordinary Process 237 

Ordinary Briefer Process 4 

Ligamen/ Defect of Form 5 

Ordinary Appeal Process 4 

Pauline Privilege 2 


We investigated 321 grounds of nullity in the 237 cases adjudicated. 

Lack of Form 222 

Radical Sanations 3 

Permissions and 

Dispensations 432 

Visum 364 

Closed by 

abatement/death of Party 11 

Total 1285 

Ground 

Favor 

of the 

Bond 

Favor 

of 

Nullity 

Canon 1095 §2 LDD 50 142 

Canon 1101 §2 CBP 13 38 

Canon 1095 §3 Inability 12 20 

Canon 1097 §2 Error of 

Quality 1 2 

Canon 1101 §2 CBF 6 2 

Canon 1095 §1 Lack of 

Reason 1 0 

Canon 1098 Imposed Error 2 6 

Canon 1101 §2 CBC 0 1 

Canon 1099 Determinient 

Error 0 7 

Canon 1101 §2 CBS 3 7 

Canon 1101 Total 

Simulation 1 3 

Canon 1103 Force or Fear 2 2


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CONTINUING EDUCATION 

We continue to provide formation for our Advocates through workshops. This year 

we conducted two workshops that focused specifically on canon 1103 “Force or 

Grave Fear” as well as presenting the Libellus. Every workshop is recorded and on 

our website for the on-going training and education of our advocates. 

We also have the On-Line Training Program for the certification of Advocates, and 

continue to accredit new Advocates especially parish lay staff, to help to lessen the 

load of the Priests and Deacons. We currently have 138 Certified 

Advocates; 27 lay people, 20 priests and 91 deacons. 

We continue to publish “The Tribunal Quarterly” to provide information to our 

Advocates and priests. 

WEBSITE IMPROVEMENTS & SERVICES 

With the help of the Strategy Integration office we have implemented an on-line 

“Tribunal Case Status Search” so that the Advocate, Petitioner and the 

Respondent can look up the case on-line at archden.org/tribunal-case-lookup/. It 

provides them with the status of the case as well as the length of time the case has 

been with us since acceptance.


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II. 

OFFICE OF CANONICAL AFFAIRS 

WORK WITH OFFICE OF VICAR FOR CLERGY 

We continue to work with Priest Personnel on laicizations, Priest irregularities, 

canonical status, incardinations, and recommendations including votums for other 

Dioceses. 

SPECIAL FACULTY III 

We continue to work with the Special Faculty III with the help of Deacon Schaeffer. 

• 8 Rescripts were notified and reported to Rome 

• 1 case was completed as a duly authorized administrative penal process 

imposing the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state. [Dunn] 

• 1 case was moved to the voluntary petition for laicization [via graziosa] 

• 18 new cases were initiated in 2017 

• 13 of the cases that were initiated in 2017 have been sent to Rome 

• During research 8 deaths were identified 

CANONICAL STATUTES AND AGREEMENTS 

Work with different organizations in the Archdiocese of Denver to develop Private 

Juridical Personalities and establish or review Canonical Statutes and Agreements: 

• Community of St. John 

• Marian Community of Reconciliation 

• Shrine of OLOG 

• Spanish Charismatic Renewal 

• Theatine Agreement with OLOG 

• Mary Queen of the Apostles 

• Little Flower Maternity


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• Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia 

• Seeds of Hope 

• Annunciation Heights 

• Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother 

SUPPRESSION AND ERECTION OF PARISHES 

Suppression of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Redcliff CO 

Erection of quasi-parishes of St. John Paul II and Saint Gianna Molla 

CANONICAL RECOURSE 

Provide Canonical Opinions, Recourse and Votums for special situations 

CANONICAL REVIEW & UPDATES OF POLICIES & HANDBOOKS 

• Pastoral Handbook Sections 3.1.2.3 and 3.1.2.4 and Section 5.12.1.6 

• Marriage policies and procedures for St. Malo’s Chapel 

• Retirement, Renumeration and Sustenance


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• Ordination Praxis for Transitional Deacons 

DECREES FOR APPOINTMENTS 

Draft decrees for appointments as Chaplains, Appointments to the Deliverance 

Ministries and Vicar Forane. 

SPECIAL DISPENSATIONS AND RESCRIPTS 

Draft dispensations and Rescripts for situations such as Changes of Rites, 

impediments to ordination, etc. including working with the Apostolic Penitentiary. 

DRAFT MANDATUMS 

Draft the Mandatums for Theology Professors at SJV as well as the Augustine 

Institute. 

CANONICAL QUESTIONS 

Respond to Parish staff regarding canonical questions on the sacraments and other 

topics. 

CORRESPONDENCE WITH ROME 

Correspond with Rome for special situations. 

CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR CANONISTS 

Canonists attend CLSA convention annually to remain up-to-date with current topics 

and discussions in relation to Canon Law.


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III. 

STAFF/PERSONNEL / Challenges for the future 

Changes in staff continue to be a challenge. Recruiting and maintaining the adequate 

staff to catch up with the backlog and start having a weekly Court Session was 

enhanced this year. A new case processor started in January 2017 and overcame the 

learning curve. We replaced all the outside Transcriptionists and Summary Writers 

with one in-house part time transcriptionist. Much of the work done by the summary 

writer was automated with some creative templates in our Tribunal Software, 

“CaseMaster”. As a result, I believe that this has also reduced our expenses. 

Our next goal, to start deposing the witnesses [now we send them questionnaires] may 

slowly become a realization. We are very close to eliminating the backlog. Once that 

is done, we may start deposing witness, which may further accelerate the process and 

help with the adjudication of cases, but will also require having a full-time 

transcriptionist. 

Deacon Schaefer has been working diligently on the Third Special Faculty process 

and hopes to have all the cases sent to Rome within the next six to nine months. 

Our intern from Arrupe High School continues to help in many areas of office work. 

Our goal/challenge continues to be adjudicating all cases within one year. We hope 

this will be achieved this year.

2017 Annual Report MT

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