Q: Our pastor is being attacked by the bishop…. Is it better to contact the Vatican directly, or do you think we should go through the papal nuncio? –Tess Continue reading
Q: My 17-year-old son wishes to pursue his vocation to the priesthood in the Byzantine Rite (having been mostly raised in this rite) even though both of us parents are Roman Rite.
Our Byzantine pastor informs us that we parents will have to formally petition to change rites first, before our son can be admitted to an Eastern Rite seminary. I am perfectly willing to take this step. My wife, however, is unwilling to do so.
Although the rite of the father seems to have precedence in most cases, I cannot find any example in canon law that addresses the issue precisely like our situation.
So my question is, can my son change rites if only I change to Byzantine Rite? –Timothy Continue reading
Q: I am president of a student organization associated with our local diocese, which is served by a chaplain, and occasionally Mass is celebrated. In the past, the Mass has been celebrated on our college campus, in a general-use chapel, even though there is a magnificent church built in the gothic revival style a few blocks away. I made the decision to inform the group that since there was no need for us to have Mass on campus, we would carpool to the church. I cited your article, “Does Mass Have to be Said in a Church?” Now, the chaplain is accusing me of schismatic disobedience because of that decision (his interpretation of canon law and schism appears to be different).
Long story short: does your article apply to this situation? – Richard Continue reading
Q: Greetings! We have a certain Lay Association of Catholic Faithful in our diocese. The association has a spiritual director appointed by the bishop. That spiritual director suspended a member from the association, on the grounds of erroneous doctrinal teachings, and refuse to explain his position. But there are concerns that this was done by the hierarchy to merge this lay association with another different lay association.
Do bishops (and their appointed legates/spiritual directors) have the authority to remove a member from a lay Catholic association on grounds such as heresy or other scandal?
Do bishops have the authority to merge two different lay associations, even if this is against the will of members of the lay association?
If a lay association in a diocese has multiple “chapters” and has a “national body” of moderators, whose decision should be followed? The National body which the Catholic association belongs to, or the Local Ordinary? —Ednard Continue reading
Q: With the Pope’s Spiritus Domini document, the girls of our country are enthusiastic in becoming altar girls. But after reading your article “Canon Law and Altar Girls” and Spiritus Domini, I understood that the Acolyte and Lector ministries which were abolished after Vatican 2 were reinstated again. But this time, both male and female lay people can be taken in for the ministry. Have I grasped this correctly?
Secondly, our Archbishop issued a document for his diocese in 2010, and … it says that altar girls are not permitted in the Archdiocese. Now since interpretation of the canon 230.2 was released in 1992, in favour of altar girls, and also since the canon doesn’t give permission to individual Ordinaries to decide on the matter, is the ban on altar girls legal?
Thirdly, can the Archbishop adhere to the same law he has issued saying NO to altar girls even now, since the Pope has changed the law. And in any case, can a Parish Priest legally say he doesn’t like to start altar girls in his parish? Thank You. –Fernando Continue reading
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.
