A HANDBOOK ON CANON LAW

Second updated edition

Joseph T. Martín de Agar

© 1996 José Tomás Martín de Agar, Piazza S. Apollinare, 49 – 00186 Roma (Italy) martinagar@pusc.it

© 2007 Wilson & Lafleur Ltée, for the 2nd edition www.wilsonlafleur.com

Orders to: Wilson & Lafleur Ltée 40, Notre-Dame Est Montréal (Québec) Canada  H2Y 1B9 Tel.: 514 875-6326 / 1-800-363-3227 Fax: 514 875-8356

 

Table of Contents

Abbreviations  10

Foreword  12

General Basic Bibliography  15

Chapter I. Canon Law   17

1. The Meanings of Ius  17

2. Basis of the Right  18

3. Church and Law   19

4. Divine Law and Human Law   21

5. The History of Canon Law   22

A)   The First Millennium   23

B)   Classical Canon Law  24

C)   The Modern Era  25

D)   The Contemporary Period  27

The Second Vatican Council 27

The Code of Canon Law of 1983  29

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) 31

 

Chapter II. The Sources of Canon Law   34

1. Norms and Juridical Acts  35

2. Canonical Norms  37

3. Law   39

A)   Types of Law  39

Divine Law and Human Law  39

General and Particular Laws  40

Territorial Law and Personal Law  41

Invalidating and Incapacitating Laws (c. 10) 42

B)   Promulgation  42

C)   Retroactivity  43

4. Custom   44

Types of customs  45

5. Administrative Norms  45

A)   General Executory Decrees (cc. 31–33) 45

B)   Instructions (c. 34) 46

6. Statutes and Rules of Order  46

A)   Statutes  46

B)   Rules of Order 47

7. Singular Administrative Acts  49

A)   Singular Decrees  50

B)   Singular Precepts  50

C)   Rescripts  51

Privilege  51

Dispensation  52

8. Judicial Acts  53

9. Private Juridical Acts (cc. 124–128) 53

 

Chapter III. Who Are Subjects in Canon Law?  56

1. The Physical Person (cc. 96–112) 56

2. The Juridical Person (cc. 113–123) 58

A)   Corporations and Foundations (c. 115) 60

B)   Public and Private Juridical Persons  60

 

Chapter IV. The Constitution of the Church  62

1. Constitutional Principles  62

A)   The Principle of Equality  63

B)   The Principle of Variety  63

C)   The Institutional Principle  64

2. The Fundamental Rights and Duties of the Faithful  65

3. Power and Its Exercise in the Church  70

4. Canonical regulation and the power of governance  74

A)   Distinction of Functions  75

B)   Ordinary Power (Proper or Vicariate) and Ordinaries  75

C)   Delegated Power 76

D)   Competence  77

E)   External Forum and Internal Forum   77

F)    The Habitual Faculties  78

G)   Substitution of Jurisdiction  78

 

Chapter V. The People of God. Its Social Structure  80

1. The People of God  80

2. The Lay Faithful  83

3. Principal Obligations and Rights of the Laity  84

4. Personal Status of Sacred Ministers  87

A)   The Formation of Clerics  88

B)   Incardination of Clerics  90

C)   Rights and Duties of Clerics  91

D)   Loss of the Clerical State  94

5. Associations of the Faithful  95

A)   Types of Associations  97

B)   Public Associations  97

C)   Private Associations of the Faithful 99

 

Chapter VI. The People of God. Its Hierarchical Structure (Government and Organization of the Church) 101

1. The Concepts of Ecclesiastical Organization  101

A)   Ecclesiastical Office  102

B)   The Conferral of the Office  102

2. The Universal and Particular Dimensions of the Church  104

3. The Supreme Power in the Church  106

A)   The College of Bishops  106

The Ecumenical Council 107

B)   The Roman Pontiff 107

4. Institutions for the Government of the Universal Church  110

5. The Particular Churches  112

A)   The Diocese  113

B)   Other Ecclesiastical Circumscriptions Similar to the Diocese  114

6. Government and Organization of the Diocese  115

A)   The Diocesan Bishop (cc. 381–402) 115

B)   Institutions and Offices for the Government of the Diocese  118

Coadjutor and Auxiliary Bishops (cc. 403–411) 118

The Diocesan Synod (cc. 460–468) 118

The Diocesan Curia (cc. 469–474) 119

The Diocesan Vicars (cc. 475–481) 119

The Finance Committee (cc. 492 and 493) 120

The Diocesan Financial Administrator (c. 494) 120

The Council of Priests (cc. 495–501) 120

The College of Consultors (c. 502) 121

The Chapter of Canons (cc. 503–510) 121

The Pastoral Council (cc. 511–514) 122

C)   The Parish (cc. 515–552) 122

D)   Vicars Forane (cc. 553–555) 125

E)   Rectors of Churches (cc. 556–563) 125

F)    Chaplains (cc. 564–572) 125

7. Organisms Above the Diocesan Level  126

A)   The Ecclesiastical Province  126

B)   The Ecclesiastical Region  127

C)   Particular Councils  127

D)   The Conferences of Bishops  128

 

Chapter VII. Consecrated Life  131

1. Institutes of Consecrated Life  133

A)   Religious Institutes  135

The Religious  137

B)   Secular Institutes  140

2. Societies of Apostolic Life (cc. 731–746) 141

 

Chapter VIII. The Means of Salvation. The Word of God  142

1. The Teaching Function  142

A)   The Ecclesiastical Magisterium of the Church  143

Obligations Concerning Catholic Doctrine  145

B)   Ecumenism   147

C)   The Ministry of the Divine Word  148

Preaching (cc. 762–772) 149

Catechesis  150

Missions  152

D)   Catholic Education  153

The Teaching of the Catholic Religion  154

Catholic Schools  155

Catholic Universities and Other Institutes of Higher Learning  156

Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties  157

E)   Means of Communication and Books  158

 

Chapter IX. The Means of Salvation. Divine Worship  161

1. The Sanctifying Office in the Church  161

2. The Sacraments  162

A)   Baptism   163

B)   Confirmation  166

C)   The Holy Eucharist 168

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass  168

Eucharistic Communion  170

Conservation and Veneration of the Most Holy Eucharist 172

Offerings for the Celebration of the Mass (cc. 945–958) 173

D)   The Sacrament of Penance  174

Collective Absolution (cc. 961–963) 176

Indulgences (cc. 992–997) 178

E)   The Anointing of the Sick  178

F)    The Sacrament of Orders  179

3. Marriage  182

A)   General Concepts  185

B)   Matrimonial Consent 186

Incapacity  187

Ignorance  189

Error of Law  189

Error of Fact 190

Deceit (c. 1098) 191

Simulation (c. 1101) 191

Conditions (c. 1102) 193

Violence and Fear 193

C)   Impediments  194

The Impediments in Particular 196

D)   The Form of Marriage  199

E)   Effects of Marriage  201

F)    Dissolution of the Marriage Bond  201

Dispensation of Non-Consummated Marriage (c. 1142) 201

Dissolution in Favor of the Faith (cc. 1143–1150) 202

G)   Separation of the Spouses  203

H)   Convalidation of the Marriage  203

Simple Convalidation (cc. 1156–1160) 204

Retroactive Validation (Radical Sanation, cc. 1161–1165) 205

I)    Pastoral Care and Preparation for Marriage (cc. 1063–1072) 205

4. Other Acts of Divine Worship  206

A)   Sacramentals (cc. 1166–1172) 207

B)   The Liturgy of the Hours (cc. 1173–1175) 208

C)   Church Funerals (cc. 1176–1185) 208

D)   Veneration of the Saints, of Sacred Images and of Relics (c. 1186–1190) 210

E)   Vows and Oaths (cc. 1191–1204) 211

5. Sacred Places and Times  213

A)   Sacred Places  213

Various Sacred Places  214

B)   Sacred Times  216

 

Chapter X. The Temporal Goods of the Church. Patrimonial Canon Law   218

1. Goods  218

2. The Acquisition of Goods  220

3. Administration of Ecclesiastical Goods  223

4. Alienation of Ecclesiastical Goods  226

5. Pious Dispositions and Pious Foundations  227

 

Chapter XI. Penal Canon Law   228

1. Offences  228

2. The Offender  228

3. Ecclesiastical Penalties  229

A)   Censures  229

B)   Expiatory Penalties  230

C)   Penal Remedies and Penances  230

4. The Application of Penalties  231

5. Cessation of Penalties  232

6. Specific Offences  233

 

Chapter XII. Procedural Law   235

1. Judicial Organization  235

2. The Process  238

A)   The Parties  239

B)   The Competence of the Tribunal 240

3. The Carrying Out of the Process  240

A)   The Introductory Stage (cc. 1501–1525) 241

B)   The Evidentiary or Probatory Stage. Proofs (cc. 1526–1586) 242

C)   The Publication of the Acts, the Conclusion of the Case, and the Pleadings (cc. 1598–1606) 245

D)   The Judicial Decision (cc. 1607–1618) 246

4. Challenging the Judgment  247

A)   Appeal (cc. 1628–1640) 247

Adjudged Matter (res iudicata) 248

B)   Complaint of Nullity (cc. 1619–1627) 248

C)   Total Reinstatement (restitutio in integrum) (cc. 1645–1648) 249

5. The Execution of the Judgment (cc. 1650–1655) 249

6. The Oral Contentious Process  250

7. Special Processes  250

A)   Penal Processes (cc. 1717–1731) 253

8. Administrative Justice (cc. 1732–1739) 255

A)   The Administrative Recourse  255

B)   Contentious Administrative Recourse  256

 

Chapter XIII. Relations Between the Church and the Political Community  257

1. Christian Dualism   258

2. Historical Interpretations of Dualism   259

3. The Second Vatican Council  266

Religious Liberty  271

4. Various Aspects of the Mission of the Church with Regard to the World  272