The Revised Code of Canon Law
According to canon lawyer, Dr. Edward Peters, Roman Catholic canon law is the oldest functioning system of law in the western world. The revised code of canon law was completed and promulgated (announced) in 1983 by the then pope and remains in force in 2010.
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Definition
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The "Catholic Encyclopedia" describes canon law as "the body of laws adopted by an ecclesiastical organization for the government of a Christian organization and its members."
History
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The "Catholic Encyclopedia" states that canon law has its origins in collections of the authoritative declarations or pronouncements of the councils of bishops in the early centuries of Christianity. The collections of pronouncements were later ordered to be collated, organized and codified systematically by Pope Pious X in 1904. This was then reorganized and edited in 1917 by Pope Benedict the XV. The current version was revised and promulgated in 1983 by Pope John Paul II.
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Changes
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The 1917 code was hierarchical in nature to reflect the times. The revised code in contrast contains a major segment stating that the church is for the people of God with a bill of rights for all those that have been baptized. The hierarchical rules and regulations come much later. The revised version is concerned with promoting unity among churches and is said to be ecumenical in outreach.
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References
- Photo Credit pope's residence image by Gary from Fotolia.com
