There are few things in the Catholic Church more daunting than canon law.
The Catholic Church’s own law — canon law — is an ancient and complex field. Few people understand it. Some think it’s meaningless. And some people feel run over roughshod by it. Still others just want to ask, “how can I get an annulment?” — or other questions.
Why canon law in a forum like this?
Canon law is one of the “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” disciplines. Based upon my experience of serving at the diocesan and archdiocesan level over the last dozen years or so, I can affirm that there is quite a bit of canonical “misinformation” out there — that’s a word that gets flung around a lot these days, but I can attest that the wrong canon law advice or opinion can derail a Catholic’s sacramental life for a lifetime. A tragedy. And usually an avoidable tragedy. Many canon lawyers have been trained to be mainly processors of matrimonial nullity (“annulment”) cases. Seminarians typically have only have two semesters of canon law in seminary before becoming priests — they get an overview semester and then one semester of marriage law. It’s nowhere nearly enough. Deacons sometimes have even less than that, and parish lay staff (overburdened as they are) often bear the brunt of complicated situations without adequate training. The lives of the Catholic faithful have become increasingly complicated in recent generations. And while the clergy and the lay faithful of a diocese can (and should) contact their own chancery or tribunal when they have canon law questions, sometimes it is still difficult to get an answer. Or the right answer.
Tackling canon law questions here.
Sometimes people are reluctant to ask their own priests or deacons, or the tribunal of their diocese, the questions they have. This is a place where I hope to offer some basic canon law information, in particular about “annulments,” and even to answer specific questions (rendering the information anonymous, of course). Before becoming first a Defender of the Bond and then an ecclesiastical judge, I took an oath of office to keep confidential the information of Petitioners, of Respondents, of witnesses, etc. Even though I am no longer serving as a judge, after some ten years “on the bench,” I uphold my oath as a canon lawyer in private practice. Certain case scenarios presented will be thoroughly anonymized. If anyone thinks that he sees himself in a particular case, I can assure him it is not so: I served in and across several different ecclesiastical jurisdictions, and handled cases from many different places.
I will try to post at least once a week, but more often if interesting questions arise.
A subscription will allow access to canon law questions and discussions. I will post canon law questions and situations, and try to offer resolutions or at least a pathway.
Saint Raymond (Ramón) of Peñafort, O.P., Patron Saint of Canonists and this Substack, o.p.n.
I hope to offer respectful, thorough, and enlightening information.
Life is short, canon law is kind of long…