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HABEMUS PAPAM!
Pope Leo XIV is an American … AND a canon lawyer. -
canonlawmadeeasy@yahoo.com
Please check the Archives first–it’s likely your question was already addressed.
Unsigned/anonymous questions are not read, much less answered (why is it necessary even to mention this?). About the author
Cathy Caridi, J.C.L., is an American canon lawyer who practices law and teaches in Rome. She founded this website to provide clear answers to canonical questions asked by ordinary Catholics, without employing all the mysterious legalese that canon lawyers know and love. In the past Cathy has published articles both in scholarly journals and on various popular Catholic websites, including Real Presence Communications and Catholic Exchange.
Category Archives: The Pope
If the Church Has Never Permitted Divorce, Why Did Henry VIII Expect the Pope to Give Him One?
Q: I understand that the Catholic Church does not approve of divorce. But I do not understand why Henry VIII asked the Pope to grant him a divorce from his wife, and expected the Pope to grant it. Was there … Continue reading
Posted in Marriage, Sacraments, The Pope
Tagged annulment, canon law, Catholic, divorce, Henry VIII, marriage
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Repost: What Are the Church’s Current Rules on Indulgences?
(On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis will give the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing in St. Peter’s Square, and under the proper conditions Catholics can gain a plenary indulgence. So it seems appropriate to repost the Church’s rules on indulgences at … Continue reading
Posted in Other Canonical Questions, The Pope
Tagged canon law, Catholic, indulgence, papal blessing
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Excommunication and Bad-Mouthing the Pope
Q: During this Jubilee Year, “Missionaries of Mercy” have been sent around the world with special powers to lift excommunications. The Vatican Archbishop who made this announcement mentioned the excommunicable crime of physical violence against the Pope, and said that … Continue reading
Posted in Crimes and Sanctions, The Pope
Tagged canon law, Catholic, excommunication, Fisichella, Pope
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Why Does the Vatican Arrest Leakers, But Not Pedophile Priests?
Q: I read an article online, saying the Vatican just arrested five people for leaking and publishing confidential Vatican documents. Lots of anti-Catholic comments were posted under the article, asking why the Pope arrests leakers but not pedophile priests? I … Continue reading
Posted in Clergy Issues, Other Canonical Questions, The Pope
Tagged canon law, Catholic, pedophile, priest, Vatican
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How Much Authority Does a Synod Actually Have?
Q: We’ve all been fixated on the Synod, but we never seem to have heard much about Synods in the Church before…. What kind of authority does a Synod actually have? And how is this one any different from Synods … Continue reading
Posted in Other Canonical Questions, The Pope
Tagged canon law, Catholic, Pope Francis, Synod
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