Since the first century Christians have submitted their disputes to the adjudication of the local Bishop as leader of the believing community. This practice gradually evolved into a system of ecclesiastical courts or Church tribunals whose mission was to assist the Bishop in fulfilling his ministry to the faithful entrusted to his care.

Today, Church law (canon law) calls for the existence of a tribunal in every diocese of the world. Tribunal personnel serve in the name of the diocesan bishop. Their work is governed by the substantive law and procedures set out comprehensively in the CODE OF CANON LAW which was promulgated by Papal authority in 1983, and by the supreme law of the Church, which is the salvation of souls.

Cases brought before tribunals touch on the rights, obligations and concerns of members of the Church. Most of the tribunal’s service is directed to divorced persons who want to remarry in the Church or who seek to have the Church accept their current union as valid. In this web site we have tried to answer a few of the most common questions about these cases.

For additional information on the process of submitting a case to the Tribunal, or the types of cases the Tribunal will accept, please telephone, write or e-mail our office. Additional contact information can be found on our CONTACT US page.