The Right to Due Process in the Church. A Comparative Ecclesiastical Approach: Monsignor W. Onclin Chair 2012

by Rik Torfs

In the aftermath of Vatican II, questions concerning due process were not among the main issues debated in canon law. Other topics dominated, including participation, the status of lay people, collegiality. Marriage was a covenant, not a contract. The Church was a community, not an institution. A plea for a more prominent role of canon law was perceived as a lack of true pastoral spirit. Theologians often argued that the Church had to offer more than just law, while it used to be less. Today, the situation changed, though not completely, and at times with a lot of reluctance. This book offers various contributions on due the functioning of the Apostolic Signatura and other tribunals within the Roman Catholic Church; an historical overview of due process, covering the evolution over many centuries; the Anglican ideas, norms and traditions; the reformed perspective. A final address by professor Rik Torfs, contributing to the scientific development of church law, and offering practical suggestions to the ecclesial world.

100 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2014

About the author

Henri Maria Dymphna André Laurent "Rik" Torfs (born 16 October 1956) is a Belgian canon law scholar and media personality. He is a former Senator for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party in the Belgian Federal Parliament and a former Rector of the Catholic University of Leuven.