A Concise Guide to Your Rights in the Catholic Church

By Kevin E. McKenna

This reference book decodes complex Roman Catholic Church law and doctrine. It is the third book in 'The Concise Guide Series', a series of books tackling questions of central importance for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594710791
• ISBN13: 9781594710797
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Ave Maria Press
• Length: 130 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A TRULY BARE BONES CONCISE GUIDE TO WHERE TO FIND YOUR RIGHTS (AND OBLIGATIONS) UNDER THE NEW CANON

The Reverend Father McKenna's definition of Concise obviously differs somewhat from the excellent and Reverend Father Thomas Bokenkotter, whose A Concise History of the Catholic Church is as substantial a tome as the Telephone directory of many a mid-sized city. In fact for a concise history we must turn to the brief manual The Catholic Church: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles). At under 130 pages, therefore, and part of the well respected Ave Maria Press Concise Guide series (which also includes Father McKenna's A Concise Guide to Canon Law; A Practical Handbook for Pastoral Ministers and A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching) this near brochure can do little more than cite our rights under the 1983 Revised Code of Canon Law, without expansive commentary. Father McKenna comments just enough for a slight indication of possible application, humbly, no more. Father McKenna begins with a brief overview of the recognition of human rights and natural law in the Catholic Church, touching on Pope Leo's landmark Rerum Novarum as well as Pope John XXIII's Pacem in Terris, and coming through the documents of Vatican II and the declarations of Pope Paul VI and the 1967 Synod of Bishops, which found in the Second Vatican Council principles of "fundamental equality of all the faithful," and a need for "appropriate judicial and administrative measures ( . . .) to protect the rights of persons against arbitrary uses of authority (p. 28)." Through his introduction, Father McKenna reveals "The rights now included in the Code of Canon Law had their basis in a 'constitutional statement,' the Lex Ecclesiae Fundamentalis, and were uniquely mandated by 'Principles for the Revision of the Code' of the 1967 Synod of Bishops. It is clear that these rights have a certain priority in the revised law of the Roman Catholic Church (p. 29)." It should be noted this brief yet comprehensive manual includes not only the 1983 Revised Code for the Roman Catholic Chrurch, but also includes the Code of the Eastern Catholic Chruches in communion with Rome, much of which coincides with the Roman Canon Law, but with some significant differences. Another review here misses this interesting point of significant import. Also the title itself appears incomplete, as not only do we find our rights in this guide, but also as well and equally our obligations, to which a full section is amply dedicated and which seem equally important to the Christian faithful. Briefly browsing the rights, we find ourselves declared free to choose a state of life, but the commentary from Father McKenna specifically states we have no inherent right to, for instance, a priestly vocation, which is determined by a bishop, under our newly centralized hierarchy. Praying for vocations takes place within the Church community, not within the individual praying for it, an interesting and at times a frustrating point as political purity appears to take priority to individual charism. The seminarian d

Enthusiastically recommended

A Concise Guide To Your Rights In The Catholic Church by Kevin E. McKenna (pastor at St. Cecilia Parish in Rochester, NY) is an easy-to-follow, no-nonsense guide to the rights of Catholic laity and clergy alike under church law. A Concise Guide To Your Rights In The Catholic Church covers Catholic Church law only; it does not address governmental law, or religious law for other churches. Chapters spell out what the letter of the sacrament states about the right of Catholics to voice opinions (though not the direct, open, and stubborn rejection of the Church's teachings), have protection of their privacy, freedom of inquiry, seek vindication of their rights, and much more. The final chapter describes in depth the steps for seeking vindication according to Church due process, including hierarchical recourse and advocate assistance. The answers to common questions such as "Can the Christian faithful be denied the Church's funeral rites?", "May parishoners hold title to the assets of a parish?", and "What rights are accorded to those who make allegations of sexual misconduct against a cleric? What obligations do they have?" will prove especially useful to the reader seeking to better understand the Church's legal systems and grievance procedures. Though not lengthy enough to cover all of the Church's laws in-depth, A Concise Guide To Your Rights In The Catholic Church is enthusiastically recommended for practical reference and use.