Canon Law and the Pope’s Butler

Posted on October 25, 2012 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: I understand that the Pope’s butler was arrested and convicted under Vatican civil law, and not under canon law. But didn’t he violate canon law too? I thought it was a crime under canon law to cause harm to the Pope, isn’t it?  –Daniel

A: Most readers are probably as familiar as Daniel is with the recent trial of Paolo Gabriele, the Pope’s valet, who was charged with and subsequently convicted of passing many of the Pope’s confidential personal papers to an Italian journalist. Continue reading →

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Who Can Conduct an Exorcism?

Posted on October 11, 2012 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: I thought every Catholic priest could act as an exorcist if he has to, by virtue of his ordination to the priesthood. But our assistant pastor told me recently that that’s not true, because he is not able to conduct an exorcism. Who exactly has the right and the power to exorcise evil spirits? –Andrea

A: When we think of exorcists and exorcisms, we’re likely to remember dramatic scenes from horror-movies, in which a priest tries to convince an evil spirit to depart from a writhing, shrieking, possessed person. It’s an image that, while not entirely false, can lead us to make a few mistaken assumptions about what the term “exorcism” means, and who an “exorcist” is. Continue reading →

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Can Priests Hold Public Office?

Posted on September 20, 2012 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: Aren’t priests forbidden to hold political office? I thought they were, but then I read that the government of Libya nominated a Catholic priest to be their Ambassador to the United Nations! How is a priest allowed to hold a job like that? –Nick

A: Nick’s confusion is entirely justified. Unfortunately, what some Catholic priests in various parts of the world have chosen to do in recent years is not necessarily in synch with current canon law. Continue reading →

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Can the Bishop Shut Down a Shrine?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q:  Some years ago, a man in my diocese built a Catholic shrine, and it was visited by many Catholics. But the bishop ordered it to be shut down, and said that it was not a shrine and that Catholics weren’t supposed to go there.  The man said that it wasn’t a parish church and the bishop had no right to stop Catholics from praying there, but the bishop won. Did the bishop have authority to do this? —Jan

A:  Yes.

In casual parlance we often speak of shrines very loosely, when we describe a statue of Saint Francis in someone’s yard, or perhaps a Lourdes grotto on the campus of a Catholic school. But the term “shrine” is actually defined in a precise way by the Code of Canon Law. Continue reading →

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Bishops, Coadjutors, and Auxiliaries

Posted on January 24, 2012 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: Could you explain the terms “coadjutor bishop” and “auxiliary bishop” for us? I’m thinking particularly of the new Archbishop of Los Angeles. Originally he was an auxiliary bishop in Denver. Then he became coadjutor bishop of Los Angeles, and now he is the Archbishop. What’s the difference between these types of bishops?  –Ellen

A: In “Bishops, Archbishops, and Cardinals” we looked at the distinctions between Catholic bishops, archbishops, and cardinals. Now let’s take a look at how the Code of Canon Law defines the terms that Ellen mentions, starting first with the definition of an auxiliary bishop. Continue reading →

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