Bishops, Archbishops, and Cardinals

Posted on December 17, 2009 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: What’s the difference between a bishop and an archbishop? And why are some archbishops addressed as “Cardinal” but others aren’t? –Jackie

A: On the surface, it certainly can seem that members of the Catholic hierarchy fill identical roles but don’t always have identical titles. The system is actually consistent and reasonable, once one understands how it works!  Jackie’s question actually contains two separate parts, the first pertaining to the Church’s organized system of dioceses, and the second to its system of hierarchical ranking. Continue reading →

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Can Catholic Children Receive the Last Rites?

Posted on December 3, 2009 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: Some years ago, a good friend’s two-year-old daughter died of a congenital problem. Only recently she told me that when the priest came to see them all in the hospital when the girl was dying, they asked him to anoint their daughter, but he said no. He told them she didn’t need it because she was “innocent.” This evidently didn’t bother the family, but I was shocked! Isn’t every Catholic supposed to receive the last rites when he’s dying?  —Melanie

A: It may be surprising to many Catholics, but no, it is not appropriate to administer the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick—also known as Extreme Unction—to every baptized Catholic, even when he is dying. Continue reading →

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Can a Priest Ever Return to the Lay State?

Posted on November 12, 2009 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: I thought once a man was ordained a priest, he is always a priest. So how is it that some priests get permission to leave the priesthood and get married?  Sometimes you hear about somebody being a “former priest,” and I don’t see how that’s possible.  –David

A: This is certainly an excellent question, because it is true that the Church teaches that “you are a priest forever” (Ps. 110.4). Continue reading →

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Confession by Appointment and Face-to-Face

Posted on October 29, 2009 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q1: We just moved, and our new parish doesn’t have set confession times. The bulletin says “confessions by appointment.” My wife doesn’t think that’s a violation of our right to receive the sacrament, since the priest will hear our confessions if we ask him to. But it seems to me that it ought to be easier to go to confession than that. Which of us is right? –Chuck

Q2: Does canon law say anything about face-to-face confessionals? Our new pastor had the grills inside the confessionals removed, because he says he doesn’t like “anonymity” and thinks people should be adult enough to confess face-to-face. But now lots of people, including me, don’t want to go to confession! Is there something wrong with us not wanting to be seen in there? –Neal Continue reading →

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What if the Other Spouse Doesn’t Want the Annulment?

Posted on October 15, 2009 by canonlawmadeeasy

Q: I read Sheila Kennedy’s book about her annulment experience, and it sure sounds like the Boston archdiocese put her through hell! I heard later that she appealed to the Vatican and they overturned the annulment her husband had got from Boston. It seems pretty obvious that the Boston canon lawyers tried to give her husband an annulment just because he’s a Kennedy. Don’t you think it’s scandalous that the Church treated her this way? –Stephanie

A: The former wife of Joseph Kennedy II did indeed write a book castigating the Catholic Church in general, and the marriage tribunal of the Archdiocese of Boston in particular, after her ex-husband sought an annulment of their marriage. Continue reading →

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