-
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.
- Now available in paperback!
Category Archives: Sacraments
Re-post: Confession and General Absolution
(For years, readers have returned to this article again and again in the weeks just before Christmas, which would indicate that the problem it addresses still persists. And now that the Catholic faith and the Church’s sacramental life are being … Continue reading
Posted in Confession, Parish Life, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, confession, general absolution, valid
Comments Off on Re-post: Confession and General Absolution
The Virus and the Bishops: Twisting a Vatican Document to Further an Agenda
Q: The priests of our parish have been [illegally refusing us the sacraments], so we wrote respectfully to our Bishop. We quoted some canons which you discussed in your articles. The Bishop replied to our letter and defended the priests. … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments
Tagged bishops, canon law, Catholic, episcopal conference, GIRM, Mass, sacraments
Comments Off on The Virus and the Bishops: Twisting a Vatican Document to Further an Agenda
Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared
Q: I am a volunteer in our parish’s catechism program, and I help run the First Holy Communion preparation…. As has unfortunately become very common, we get a LOT of uncatechized children and an ever-increasing number of uncatechized parents in … Continue reading
Posted in Parish Life, Rights of the Faithful, Sacraments, The Eucharist
Tagged canon law, Catholic, First Communion, First Holy Communion, properly disposed, sacrament
Comments Off on Refusing First Holy Communion to Children Who Are Ill-Prepared
Ecclesia Supplet: Making Invalid Sacraments Valid
Q: You mentioned in “Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy” that when Father Hood [of the Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan] discovered that his own baptism was invalid and he was not a priest, that meant all the weddings, confirmations, and anointing … Continue reading
Posted in Annointing of the Sick, Baptism, Confirmation, Sacraments
Tagged canon law, Catholic, Ecclesia supplet, sacrament, valid, validity
Comments Off on Ecclesia Supplet: Making Invalid Sacraments Valid
Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy
Q1: We’re from Michigan, and the invalid baptism of Father Matthew Hood in the Detroit Archdiocese is all over the Catholic news … lots of people are now wondering if their children were invalidly baptized too, or even if their … Continue reading
Posted in Baptism, Clergy Issues, Sacraments
Tagged baptism, baptize, deacon, Fr. Hood, invalid, validity
Comments Off on Invalid Baptisms and Unaccountable Clergy