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Canon lawyers are not responsible for the content of canon law. The Supreme Legislator is. Only Pope Francis can change the Code of Canon Law, so if you're not happy with what the law says, please take it up with him.
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Author Archives: Cathy Caridi
Did the Spanish Flu of 1918 Create a Precedent for Closing Churches and Cancelling Masses Today?
Q: A priest in residence at my parish is defending the bishop’s decision to lock all the churches indefinitely … claiming that there is canonical precedent for doing this. He says the same thing was done during the Spanish Flu … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged 1918, bishops, canon law, Catholic, churches, Mass, Spanish Flu, virus
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The Virus and the Bishops: Twisting Canon 223 to Further an Agenda
Q: We contacted our bishop in protest, because he is insisting we can only receive Communion in the hand. A canon lawyer replied on his behalf, claiming that Canon 223.2 gives the bishop power to “regulate the exercise of rights … Continue reading
Posted in Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged bishop, canon 223, canon law, Catholic, Communion in the hand, Communion on the tongue, eucharist
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Stressed-Out Shepherds and Ungrateful Parishioners
Q1: Our archbishop issued a decree that we parishioners can satisfy our Sunday Mass obligation on any other day of the week, as a way to lessen the number of people at Mass on Sundays, given that there is still … Continue reading
Posted in Holy Mass, Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged bishop, canon law, Catholic, dispensation, Mass, parish, parishioners, sacraments
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Our Priest Cancelled Our Wedding, So Who Else Can Validly Marry Us?
Q: My fiancé and I have been engaged for about a year, and long ago we had planned to marry on April 25. As you can probably imagine, our parish priest cancelled the wedding entirely, citing a directive from the … Continue reading
Posted in Marriage, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, liceity, licit, marriage, parish, parish priest, valid, validity, wedding
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Episcopal Conferences and Communion on the Tongue
Q1: The US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued guidelines saying that we have the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, despite the virus … but my bishop has ordered all his priests to do the exact opposite. He … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged bishops' conference, canon law, Catholic, Communion on the tongue, episcopal conference
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