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A Concise Guide to Canon Law; A Practical Handbook for Pastoral Ministers
For more than twenty years, A Concise Guide to Canon Law has provided priests, deacons, and lay pastoral ministers with essential information about Church laws that regularly impact the lives of everyday Catholics.
This compact reference guide addresses topics such as who can receive the sacraments and when, the responsibilities of pastors and bishops; administration of parishes; and the role of finance and pastoral councils. The book also now includes the teachings of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on issues such as marriage and annulment, as well as a new chapter on Catholic funerals.
Canon lawyer Aldean Hendrickson, director of the tribunal for the Diocese of New Ulm, also has updated this practical guide with additional material that
This compact reference guide addresses topics such as who can receive the sacraments and when, the responsibilities of pastors and bishops; administration of parishes; and the role of finance and pastoral councils. The book also now includes the teachings of Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on issues such as marriage and annulment, as well as a new chapter on Catholic funerals.
Canon lawyer Aldean Hendrickson, director of the tribunal for the Diocese of New Ulm, also has updated this practical guide with additional material that
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 29, 2012
Another textbook for my canon law course. As its title alludes to it is written from a practical standpoint so easier to read and understand the application of the law.
September 21, 2024
AN EXCELLENT REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE REVISED CODE OF CANON LAW
Rev. Kevin McKenna is Chancellor and Director of Legal Services for the Diocese of Rochester, as well as a member of both the Canon Law Society of America and the Canadian Canon Law Society; he has also written books such as 'A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching,' 'Concise Guide to Your Rights in the Catholic Church,' 'Church Finance Handbook,' 'You Did It for Me: Care of Your Neighbor as a Spiritual Practice,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 2000 book, "[This book] is an effort to present a compact, usable reference guide in some of the major areas of canon law that affect primarily the pastor, parochial vicar, deacon, and pastoral associate, as well as a variety of pastoral agents now working in the church...
"This book is an effort to distill into a practical format the myriad laws contained in the Code of Canon Law with an emphasis on the more practical areas such as the sacraments, declarations of nullity, and consultative bodies... It is intended as an easy-to-use reference guide for pastoral ministers, providing a quick summary in outline form of the major topical areas in canon law... and thereby answering some questions that often come up in the day-to-day life of the average pastoral minister." (Pg. 14)
He states, "A person who is in a marriage which the church cannot recognize as VALID due to the presence of an IMPEDIMENT such as a prior bond is still eligible for admittance into the RCIA program. However, before receiving baptism, it would be necessary that the catechumen's marriage situation be resolved (e.g., obtaining a declaration of nullity) so that the person be properly disposed and able to celebrate the sacraments of initiation.
"It is therefore most important that parish staff interview potential catechumens before they proceed too far into the program so that the person with an invalid marriage is aware of this potential difficulty and so the staff may assist the catechumen in whatever canonical procedures may be necessary before the person is initiated into the church." (Pg. 33-34)
He notes, "sacred ministers cannot refuse the sacraments to those who ask for them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited from receiving them... However... those who are excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty or obstinately persist in grave sin are not to be admitted to the eucharist. The Code does not overly restrict access to the eucharist. When admission to the eucharist must be restricted, the law would insist that very serious reasons be present, since such exclusion would be denying a fundamental right." (Pg. 44)
He observes, "Many pastoral ministers believe that living together as a couple before marriage makes a couple ineligible to be married in the church, since in such a situation the couple would not be properly disposed to receive the sacrament of marriage. The new catechism, in describing 'trial marriage,' says those who engage in premature sexual relations with the intention of getting married later enter a relationship that can 'scarcely ensure mutual sincerity and fidelity...' 'Human love does not tolerate "trial marriages." It demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another.' It is only the ordinary who can legitimately prohibit the marriage of a couple within his jurisdiction, and only in a particular case---and only for a time, for a serious cause, and only as long as that cause exists." (Pg. 75)
He states, "Contrary to prior legislation, it is now the Catholic party who, before entering into marriage with a member of another church or ecclesial community, must obtain the permission of the local ordinary by making certain declarations about his or her faith... The Catholic party must declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of falling away from the faith and make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power to have all children baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church. The other party must be informed of these promises made by the Catholic." (Pg. 78)
This book does an excellent job of not only outlining the Code, but also focusing its attention on the most "crucial" sections, in the minds of most people.
Rev. Kevin McKenna is Chancellor and Director of Legal Services for the Diocese of Rochester, as well as a member of both the Canon Law Society of America and the Canadian Canon Law Society; he has also written books such as 'A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching,' 'Concise Guide to Your Rights in the Catholic Church,' 'Church Finance Handbook,' 'You Did It for Me: Care of Your Neighbor as a Spiritual Practice,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 2000 book, "[This book] is an effort to present a compact, usable reference guide in some of the major areas of canon law that affect primarily the pastor, parochial vicar, deacon, and pastoral associate, as well as a variety of pastoral agents now working in the church...
"This book is an effort to distill into a practical format the myriad laws contained in the Code of Canon Law with an emphasis on the more practical areas such as the sacraments, declarations of nullity, and consultative bodies... It is intended as an easy-to-use reference guide for pastoral ministers, providing a quick summary in outline form of the major topical areas in canon law... and thereby answering some questions that often come up in the day-to-day life of the average pastoral minister." (Pg. 14)
He states, "A person who is in a marriage which the church cannot recognize as VALID due to the presence of an IMPEDIMENT such as a prior bond is still eligible for admittance into the RCIA program. However, before receiving baptism, it would be necessary that the catechumen's marriage situation be resolved (e.g., obtaining a declaration of nullity) so that the person be properly disposed and able to celebrate the sacraments of initiation.
"It is therefore most important that parish staff interview potential catechumens before they proceed too far into the program so that the person with an invalid marriage is aware of this potential difficulty and so the staff may assist the catechumen in whatever canonical procedures may be necessary before the person is initiated into the church." (Pg. 33-34)
He notes, "sacred ministers cannot refuse the sacraments to those who ask for them at appropriate times, are properly disposed, and are not prohibited from receiving them... However... those who are excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty or obstinately persist in grave sin are not to be admitted to the eucharist. The Code does not overly restrict access to the eucharist. When admission to the eucharist must be restricted, the law would insist that very serious reasons be present, since such exclusion would be denying a fundamental right." (Pg. 44)
He observes, "Many pastoral ministers believe that living together as a couple before marriage makes a couple ineligible to be married in the church, since in such a situation the couple would not be properly disposed to receive the sacrament of marriage. The new catechism, in describing 'trial marriage,' says those who engage in premature sexual relations with the intention of getting married later enter a relationship that can 'scarcely ensure mutual sincerity and fidelity...' 'Human love does not tolerate "trial marriages." It demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another.' It is only the ordinary who can legitimately prohibit the marriage of a couple within his jurisdiction, and only in a particular case---and only for a time, for a serious cause, and only as long as that cause exists." (Pg. 75)
He states, "Contrary to prior legislation, it is now the Catholic party who, before entering into marriage with a member of another church or ecclesial community, must obtain the permission of the local ordinary by making certain declarations about his or her faith... The Catholic party must declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of falling away from the faith and make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power to have all children baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church. The other party must be informed of these promises made by the Catholic." (Pg. 78)
This book does an excellent job of not only outlining the Code, but also focusing its attention on the most "crucial" sections, in the minds of most people.
October 18, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews