Law Commons^™

Divorce And The Catholic Lawyer, John J. Coughlin

Journal Articles

On January 28, 2002, Pope John Paul II focused his annual address to the officials of the Roman Rota on the topic of the indissolubility of marriage. At the conclusion of this theological and canonical analysis, the Holy Father made a few short statements cautioning civil lawyers about divorces cases. The following day, a story in The New York Times carried the headline "John Paul Says Catholic Bar Must Refuse Divorce Cases." The article construed the pope's reference as a blanket prohibition against Catholic lawyers handling divorce cases. It further questioned whether the prohibition contradicted the Pontiff's prior emphasis on …