- Latin:
- Codex Juris Canonici
Code of Canon Law
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What is canon law?
Canon law is a set of rules and regulations established by Christian churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican Communion. It governs the church, its members, and their actions. Canon law includes divine law and natural law.
The term canon comes from the Greek word for rule, measure, or standard. These laws have evolved over two millennia, adapting to social, political, and cultural changes.
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What does the Code of Canon Law cover?
The Code of Canon Law is a comprehensive compilation of ecclesiastical laws governing the Roman Catholic Church. The current code, revised in 1983, is divided into seven books containing 1,752 canons.
These books address general norms, the people of God, the teaching office of the church, the sanctifying office, the temporal goods of the church, sanctions, and procedures. It defines the rights, duties, and responsibilities of the laity and clergy, as well as the organizational structures of the church. The code also provides guidelines for administering the sacraments, handling church finances, and settling internal disputes.
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Who uses the Code of Canon Law?
The Code of Canon Law is used by Roman Catholics of the Latin rite, while it applies to Eastern rite Catholics only when it specifically refers to them or clearly applies to all Roman Catholics.
The second Codex Juris Canonici for Catholics of the Latin rite was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983 and contains 1,752 canons divided among seven books. The books concern general norms, the people of God, the teaching and sanctifying office of the church, the temporal goods of the church, sanctions, and procedures.
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How is the Code of Canon Law organized?
The Code of Canon Law, a compilation of ecclesiastical laws for Roman Catholics of the Latin rite, was first promulgated in 1917 and revised in 1983. The second code, which superseded the first, contains 1,752 canons organized into seven books.
These books cover:
* General Norms
* The People of God
* The Teaching Office of the Church
* The Sanctifying Office of the Church
* The Temporal Goods of the Church
* Sanctions in the Church
* ProceduresThe code emphasizes the universal people of God, encourages the active participation of the faithful, and displays respect for freedom of conscience.
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What are some important rules or topics in the Code of Canon Law?
The Code of Canon Law is the official compilation of ecclesiastical laws for Roman Catholics of the Latin rite. Revised in 1983, the code contains 1,752 canons divided into seven books.
Key topics include:
* Roles and responsibilities Book I and II define the positions and responsibilities of both the laity and the clergy.
* Church promulgation Book III addresses teaching, preaching and media relations.
* Sacraments Book IV provides guidelines for administering the sacraments, especially marriage, which the Roman Catholic Church views as a sacred, lifelong union.
* Temporal goods Book V concerns the church’s handling of money and property.
* Sanctions Book VI deals with sanctions, reducing excommunicable actions from 37 to 7.
* Church courts Book VII provides a structure for church courts and internal dispute resolution.A chief element of the second code defines the church as the "people of God," rather than as an institution.
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How does the Code of Canon Law affect daily life in the Catholic Church?
The Code of Canon Law provides a framework for governance in the Catholic Church, impacting the daily lives of its members. It is a compilation of ecclesiastical laws that guide various aspects of Catholic life.
The Code addresses the rights, duties, and roles of laypersons and clergy. It includes guidelines for sacraments, worship, teaching, preaching, media relations, handling money and property, and settling internal disputes. Canon Law emphasizes the faithful's rights and encourages their participation in church life, with local bishops having more autonomy.
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Code of Canon Law, official compilation of ecclesiastical law promulgated in 1917 and again, in revised form, in 1983, for Roman Catholics of the Latin rite. The code obliges Roman Catholics of Eastern rites only when it specifically refers to them or clearly applies to all Roman Catholics.
For centuries following the Council of Trent (1545–63), the need for a codification of the disciplinary law of the church had been recognized, but not until 1904 was a plan put forth. On March 19 of that year, Pope Pius X announced his plan of procedure and appointed a commission of cardinals under the presidency of Pietro (later Cardinal) Gasparri to supervise the work. All Roman Catholic bishops, superiors of religious orders, and faculties of Roman Catholic universities were invited to collaborate. Pope Benedict XV promulgated the first code on Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 1917. The new code replaced the Corpus Juris Canonici (“Corpus of Canon Law”), an earlier compilation of church law that had been in force since the Middle Ages.
The new Code of Canon Law was a systematic arrangement of the ecclesiastical law then in force. This legislation was set forth in 2,414 canons, or norms, that were organized under topical headings in five books. Some 26,000 citations of prior church legislation were listed, including approximately 8,400 from the Decretum Gratiani (“Decree of Gratian”), a 12th-century collection; 1,200 from general councils of the church; 4,000 from papal legislation; 11,200 from the norms of Roman congregations (the administrative bodies of the Roman Curia); and 800 from liturgical books. Between 1923 and 1939 Cardinal Gasparri and Jusztinian Serédi, a Hungarian canonist and the archbishop of Esztergom, published nine volumes of the sources of the code under the title Fontes Juris Canonici (“Sources of the Code of Canon Law”).
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After the promulgation of the first code, a great mass of ecclesiastical legislation, published periodically in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (“Acts of the Apostolic See”), began to accumulate, and the need for revision became clear. On Jan. 25, 1959, Pope John XXIII established a papal commission of cardinals and experts to undertake a new revision of the code. On Jan. 25, 1983, Pope John Paul II signed the second Code of Canon Law, to take effect on Nov. 27, 1983. This second code superseded the first one.
The second code, written in Latin, consists of 1,752 canons organized into 7 books. Books I and II define the positions and responsibilities of both the laity and the clergy; Book III deals with the promulgation of the church, including the subjects of teaching, preaching, and the church’s relations with the media; Book IV contains guidelines for the administration of the sacraments, with the greatest emphasis on the sacrament of marriage; Book V concerns the church’s handling of money, property, and other temporal goods; Book VI deals with sanctions, reducing the number of excommunicable actions from 37 to 7; and Book VII provides a structure for the establishment of church courts and the settlement of internal disputes.
A chief element of the second code is the definition of the church as “the people of God” rather than as an institution.