Can All Priests Always Hear Confessions?

Posted on November 18, 2011 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: My late uncle was a Dominican priest. When we were kids he used to tell us stories about being a Dominican. I remember one story involving somebody who asked him to hear his confession, but my uncle told him that he couldn’t. He said he only had permission to hear confessions of people who were dying. Does that make any sense to you? Do you think he was being punished for some reason? Don’t all priests have the obligation to hear somebody’s confession if the person asks them to?  –Stuart Continue reading →

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Do Catholic Children Have to be Given Saints’ Names?

Posted on October 25, 2011 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: My wife and I both remember as children that when our siblings were born, our parents had to give them saints’ names. If their first name wasn’t a saint’s name, at least their middle name had to be. But nowadays, we often see notices in our parish bulletin announcing the baptisms of newborns, and neither their first nor their middle name is a saint’s name! Is the rule different now, or is something fishy going on at our parish?   –Steve

A: Back in “Inclusive Language and Baptismal Validity,” we saw that baptism is the easiest sacrament to administer validly. This is no accident—since baptism is “the gateway to the other sacraments” (c. 849), it follows logically that it should be governed by the fewest restrictions. Continue reading →

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Canon Law and the SSPX

Posted on October 5, 2011 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: Can you explain the status of the Society of St. Pius X within the Catholic Church today? My family and I know that Pope Benedict undid the excommunication of the bishops who head it up. Does that mean it’s okay now for us to attend Mass and receive the sacraments in an SSPX parish, or is there more to it?  –Michelle

A: The canonical status of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), which was founded by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre after the Second Vatican Council, is both complex and fluid. Continue reading →

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Index of Forbidden Books

Posted on March 21, 2011 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: Since there isn’t an Index of Forbidden Books any more (or at least I assume there isn’t), does canon law say anything about books that Catholics are not supposed to read?  Or does the Church hold that we can pick up any book we want now?  Are we allowed to read heretical books, for example? –Eric

A: Eric is referring to the former Index Librorum Prohibitorum, or “Index of Forbidden Books,” an official list of books which Catholics were not permitted to read. The Index was first created in the 16th century, when the Church was dealing with the effects of the protestant reformation, and it became necessary to warn the Catholic faithful that there were books in circulation that were contrary to the Catholic faith. Continue reading →

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When Does the Pope Speak Infallibly?

Posted on February 17, 2011 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: There was a lecture at our parish and the guest-speaker said something in passing about the Pope making infallible decisions. He claimed that it has only happened twice in history that the Pope has spoken infallibly! Do you know what he was talking about? I don’t know if this is even a canon-law question or not…  –Kay

A: This is indeed a canon-law question, since canon law (as we have seen numerous times before in this space) is driven by theology. Whenever an issue arises about who in the Church has the authority to do what, it’s generally safe to assume that canon law is involved. Continue reading →

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