What is the meaning of internal forum evidence in canonical proceedings?

• A. It refers to evidence consisting only of official court documents.
• B. It concerns matters of conscience; external evidence is never required.
• C. It is never considered in canonical decisions.
• D. Matters of conscience; external evidence is typically required for canonical decisions, though certain internal forum aspects may be considered in context.

Answer: (D)

In canonical proceedings, there is a distinction between evidence offered in the external forum (documents, witnesses, and other outward proofs) and evidence tied to the internal forum (matters of conscience). Internal forum evidence refers to what relates to a person’s conscience—the belief, intentions, or admissions that may not be verifiable through external documents alone. The tribunal generally relies on external evidence to establish facts, but it may take into account internal forum aspects in context when those conscience-related elements illuminate the truth of a case or clarify credibility, especially when external evidence is incomplete or indirect.

So the best description is that internal forum evidence concerns matters of conscience; external evidence is typically required for canonical decisions, though certain internal forum aspects may be considered in context.