From June 29 to July 3, 2026, at the Armenian Catholic Ordinariate in Yerevan, a course on Ecclesiastical Canon Law was organized for the clergy at the initiative of the Ordinary. The keynote speaker was the Judicial Vicar of the Ordinariate, the Very Reverend Fr. Fabrizio Turriziani. During the course, extensive explanations were provided on the following topics:

Canonical Process for the Judicial Recognition of the Nullity of Holy Matrimony (Part One)

1. General concepts (canons, general norms and particular laws, ratified and non-consummated marriage)
2. Main grounds for the nullity of marriage
3. Jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal
4. Structure of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal
a. Judicial Vicar (Vicario Giudiziale) and judges
b. Defender of the Bond, Promoter of Justice
c. Notaries and Chancellor
5. The process of declaring the nullity of marriage
a. The petition (structure, essential elements, author)
b. Court fees (payment procedure and exemptions)
c. Decrees on the acceptance of the petition and the formulation of the doubt (dubium).

Canon Law in Parishes

1. Parish archives (registers, publications, and notifications)
2. Financial administration (parochial and personal donations)
3. Celebration of Holy Mass (propriety, number of masses, intentions, and offerings).

Canonical Process for the Recognition of the Nullity of Holy Matrimony (Part Two)

1. Notification and interrogation of the parties and witnesses
2. Documentary evidence
3. Official expert evaluation (expert opinion)
4. Conclusion of the trial
5. The defense brief by the advocate (Restrictus) and the observations of the Defender of the Bond
6. Notification of the judgment date and the delivery of the verdict
7. The definitive part of the sentence (prohibition of a new marriage)
8. Execution order and registration in parish registers.

Canon Law in Parishes

1. Publication of marriage banns
2. Mixed marriages and disparity of cult (dispensation/dispensa)
3. Requirements for baptismal godparents (nulla osta)
4. Other duties of parish priests.

At the conclusion of the course, new appointments were made to ensure the more efficient operation of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Ordinariate. Instead of a single judge, the Tribunal now consists of three judges, a Promoter of Justice, and a Defender of the Bond.
On July 2, a Priestly Assembly was held, during which pastoral mission matters were discussed, including the organization of training courses for altar servers, youth camps, youth initiatives, as well as administrative and logistical matters.

Fr. Hovsep Galstyan
Chancery of the Armenian Catholic Ordinariate
July 2, 2026