Last week’s post began discussing how the first principle that led to the 1983 Code of Canon Law manifests the spirituality of canon law. This is seen in the obligations and rights of all Christ’s faithful rooted in baptism. Today’s post focuses on one of the obligations and rights of all Christ’s faithful as stipulated in canon 212.
Canon 212 states:
“§1 Christ’s faithful, conscious of their own responsibility, are bound to show Christian obedience to what the sacred Pastors, who represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith and prescribe as rulers of the Church. §2 Christ’s faithful are at liberty to make known their needs, especially their spiritual needs, and their wishes to the Pastors of the Church. §3 They have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ’s faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.”
These three paragraphs express the Church’s dynamic nature as an ecclesial communion (communio). The Second Vatican Councilaffirms God’s initiative to gather individuals who constitute the people of God as people to serve him in holiness (Lumen Gentium, 9). Hence, the Church is seen “as a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Lumen Gentium, 4). This is the basis of the concept of the Church as communio, which is “a sharing through grace in the life of the Father given us through Christ in the Holy Spirit,” and which is “at the heart of the Church’s self-understanding.”
In his apostolic constitution promulgating the 1983 Code of Canon Law, Sacra Disciplinae Leges, Pope John Paul links communio to what concerns the duties and rights of the faithful rooted in baptism. Communio has a vertical and horizontal dimension. The former concerns the relationship between the particular Church and the universal Church and that of the faithful with the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The horizontal dimension concerns the relationship between particular Churches and between individual members of Christ’s faithful.
Flowing from communio, canon 212 expresses the various dimensions of this dynamic relationship. The first is in the vertical dimension concerning the relationship between the faithful and the ecclesiastical hierarchy. This is seen in the faithful obeying the sacred pastors (paragraph one) and expressing their needs and desires to the same pastors (paragraph two). The third paragraph concerns the faithful manifesting their opinions to the pastors on matters concerning the good of the Church. It also involves the horizontal dimension concerning the relationship between the faithful. Here, it concerns the faithful manifesting opinions to other faithful. The purpose is to promote order and common growth of the faith.
In the context of obligations and rights, the obligation towards holiness is why the faithful should obey what the sacred pastors, “who represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith and prescribe as rulers of the Church.” The law chose its words carefully because it is presumed that the sacred pastors will adhere to Christ’s teachings in teaching the faith and governing the Church. Sadly, this is not always the case.
Hence, in the context of spirituality of canon law, sacred pastors should ensure they teach the faith appropriately and govern in a way that assists the faithful and themselves in their journey towards holiness. As leaders of the Church, sacred pastors should make and interpret the law in ways that promote the journey of holiness.
The obligation to holiness of the sacred pastors and all other faithful necessitates the second and third paragraphs of canon 212. Hence, paragraph two stipulates that the “faithful are at liberty to make known their needs, especially their spiritual needs, and their wishes to the pastors,” and paragraph three states that the faithful “have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church.”
Sadly, priests sometimes assume that the lay faithful have no right to speak to them about what they believe could promote the good of the Church.
No, the faithful are not simply privileged to speak; they have the right, and as the law puts it, the duty to speak if needed. This right does not, will not and cannot change because of the priests’ feelings. Not appointing them to consultative offices does not mean they cannot exercise this right by approaching priests to express their views at other moments. In today’s world, it is much better to approach priests privately rather than going on social media.
The reason for this liberty of the faithful is baptism, synodality, and, ultimately, the sense of the faith (sensus fidei).
Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of Christ because by baptism, the faithful “share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission” (CCC, 1268). If all Christ’s faithful participate in the priestly, kingly, and prophetic office of Christ, how is it a privilege to express an opinion that could promote the good of the Church, the journey of holiness and the holistic salvation of souls?
Synodality is how the entire Christian faithful walk forward together towards holiness and evangelisation whilst listening to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. It is a “constitutive dimension” of the Church because the faithful have always walked and will continue to walk together in responding to the call of Christ to holiness and salvation of souls. How would one walk together with another without speaking to the person?
Regarding the sense of faith, the International Theological Commission rightly states that “the faithful have an instinct for the truth of the Gospel, which enables them to recognise and endorse authentic Christian doctrine and practice, and to reject what is false. That supernatural instinct, intrinsically linked to the gift of faith received in the communion of the Church, is called the sensus fidei, and it enables Christians to fulfil their prophetic calling.” Sensus fidei is divided into two: sensus fidei fidelis, which refers to “the personal aptitude of the believer to make an accurate discernment in matters of faith”, and sensus fidei fidelium, which refers to “the Church’s own instinct of faith.”
Therefore, while the Church is not democratic and the decision-making ultimately remains in the hands of the leader, the Church strongly recommends consultation such as through pastoral council (canon 511) or synods (canons 342, 460). Sometimes, the Church attaches invalidity when an administrator fails to consult or get the consent of a group (canons 1277, 1281, 1291).
May God continue to help us🙏🏾
K’ọdị🙋🏾♂️
