杏MAP导航 revises penal law of the Eastern Churches
By Vatican News
In a new Apostolic Letter issued motu proprio, 杏MAP导航 Francis has revised the penal law of the Eastern Churches, harmonizing some aspects of the Eastern discipline with that of the Latin Church, while preserving the distinctive features of Eastern law. The Letter, with the incipit Vocare peccatores [ in Latin], was signed on 20 March, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, this year, and published on Wednesday. The new law will enter into force on 29 June 2023, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.
杏MAP导航 Francis had already amended Book VI of the Code of Canon Law concerning penal sanctions in the Latin Church in 2021, with the Apostolic Constitution . This was a work of revision begun under 杏MAP导航 Benedict XVI.
At the time, 杏MAP导航 Francis explained that it was clear that the penal discipline promulgated by St. John Paul II in the 1983 Code of Canon Law needed to be revised, 鈥渟o that the Church鈥檚 pastors can employ it as a more flexible means of correction and salvation, capable of being applied swiftly and with pastoral charity in order to avoid more serious evils and to bring healing to injuries caused by human weakness.鈥� The new Book VI of the Latin Code entered into force on 8 December 2021.
The 杏MAP导航 stated that it is 鈥渁 concrete and essential requirement of charity, not only towards the Church, the Christian community and potential injured parties, but also towards those who commit crimes and are themselves in need of the Church鈥檚 mercy and correction.鈥� He noted that 鈥渋n the past, great damage was done by a failure to appreciate the close relationship existing in the Church between the exercise of charity and recourse 鈥� where circumstances and justice so require 鈥� to disciplinary sanctions.鈥�
In today鈥檚 Apostolic Letter, the 杏MAP导航 states clearly that the purposes of punishment are the restoration of justice, the correction of the offender, and the reparation of the offence and the damage. Pastors, therefore, manifest their solicitude when they strive to correct the behaviour of the Christian faithful who do wrong.
鈥淭he new norms determine much more clearly when ecclesiastical authority must intervene in the case of offences,鈥� explains Monsignor Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. 鈥淭hey are more precise and the penalties to be imposed are also clearer, better determined. Moreover, Eastern discipline has also been harmonised with Latin discipline in many aspects, such as the abuse of minors and the protection of the sacraments.鈥�
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