New Book Explains Canon Law to the Laity

From time to time, all Catholics have them: nagging questions about church life, often prompted by some personal encounter or challenging situation:

Is a layperson allowed to preach a homily? Is a pastor required to report to someone regarding parish finances, or is he on his own? It seems like the parish council is running your parish. Does it have the authority to do so? Must a child be baptized in a church, or may the baptism take place at home? If I obtain an annulment, does this mean my children are illegitimate? Can pro-abortion Catholic politicians receive Holy Communion?

Surprised by Canon Law tackles these and many other questions, all of which have been formally addressed by the Roman Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law. The Code--the internal legal system that governs the church's day-to-day workings--deals with far-flung concerns of interest to the person-in-the-pew. This practical guide to the Code provides answers to a range of questions, from "Can the pope resign?" to the more sensitive query "Do you have the right to tell your bishop what the diocese needs?"

In straightforward language the authors discuss the nuts-and-bolts of church life, making canon law accessible to the everyday Catholic. "We really felt a need to provide laypeople with a book about canon law that avoids the usual canonical jargon," explained co-author Pete Vere. "Michael and I are both lay canonists and we wanted this book to be accessible to the people who sit next to us in the pew each Sunday. We wanted to write a book that could be used by DREs, Catholic teachers, Catholics interested in deepening their faith, students, homeschoolers, potential converts and basically anyone else without a formal education in canon law who wants to learn more about this sacred science."

Published by Servant Books, this book is already receiving high praise from several quarters. "For centuries, canon law has been for most Catholics a mysterious and esoteric aspect of Catholicism," writes Patrick Madrid in the book's preface, "Not anymore."

"Vere and Trueman have made canon law accessible to the average Catholic for the first time," adds Karl Keating, another bestselling Catholic author.

Cardinal Maida, the Archbishop of Detroit and a renown canonist, similarly praises the work. "I recommend it as a valuable starting point for anyone interested in becoming familiar with canon law," he states.

For more information on obtaining a copy of this work, please contact Saint Anthony Messenger Press at 1-800-488-0488 or visit http://www.SurprisedbyCanonLaw.com

In passing--I note that the latest Adoremus Bulletin vigorously defends their interpretation of the Vat's liturgical discipline statement.

They continue to maintain that the document is authoritative, despite the objections of your friend.

Of course, they go through the ritual name-calling first.

Utterly ignored in all of this is the 'spirit of willing submission' to Rome and the clear statement in Canon Law that Rome is the final arbiter of all liturgical matters.

In passing--I note that the latest Adoremus Bulletin vigorously defends their interpretation of the Vat's liturgical discipline statement. That was one ugly debacle. For the record, Adoremus should look at its own house first. Stravinskas reportedly weighed in on Vere's side of the debate -- as he feels the document was weak -- but Hitchcock has reportedly locked him out of the Adoremus Bulletin despite the fact Stravinskas was one of Adoremus' founders. They continue to maintain that the document is authoritative, despite the objections of your friend. It is authoritative. No questions about it. The question is how much authority? Like Vere, I agree that if RS were as authoritative as Benofy and Hitchcock make it out to be, then traditionalists better be prepared to swallow communion in the hand and several other adaptations from the Novus Ordo. On the other hand, if Vere and Huels are right (insofar as the two agree), then papal legislation trumps an instruction of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments and traditionalists can be left to worship in peace. Utterly ignored in all of this is the 'spirit of willing submission' to Rome and the clear statement in Canon Law that Rome is the final arbiter of all liturgical matters. That's exactly the point Vere is trying to get across -- Rome does not give equal weight to every document, but rather each type of document carries a different weight. Thus an instruction from a Curial Congregation trumps other acts of executive power, but not legislation promulgated by the Holy Father.

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