Last week’s post examined the obligation of Christ’s faithful to provide for the Church’s needs, promote social justice, and help the poor from their own resources. Today’s post focuses on ecclesiastical offices.
Canon 145 §1 defines an ecclesiastical office as “any function constituted in a stable manner by divine or ecclesiastical ordinance to be exercised for a spiritual purpose.”
An ecclesiastical office can be acquired through (a) free conferral by the competent ecclesiastical authority (Can. 157). Within a diocese, most ecclesiastical offices are provided by the free conferral of the diocesan bishop. Free conferral means that the diocesan bishop freely chooses to appoint one to an office without the person asking for it or a group presenting the person as a candidate.
Other ways to acquire an office are (b) through appointment by the competent authority of someone who has been presented in accordance with the law (Cann. 158-163), (c) simple election and acceptance when the law does not require confirmation (Can. 187) (d) confirmation or admission by the competent authority following an election or postulation (Cann 179; 180-183). An ecclesiastical office validly conferred is lost through (a) the expiry of the term fixed by law, (b) by reaching the age determined by law, (c) resignation, (d) transfer, (e) removal, and (f) privation (Cann. 184 -196).
Four features of an ecclesiastical office show the connection between ecclesiastical offices and the spirituality of canon law.
The first is that an ecclesiastical office is a function or a position of responsibility involving defined rights and obligations. Second, an ecclesiastical office is constituted in a stable manner; that is, the continuity of the post is guaranteed so that it survives indefinitely if the holder of the post changes or if the post becomes vacant. An office does not depend on the charisma or gifts of a particular officeholder. A stable manner also entails a determinate or indeterminate period (tenure) on the part of the officeholder. In light of this, one who replaces another person ought to continue from where one’s predecessor stopped. Third, it is established by a divine or ecclesiastical ordinance. Fourth, it is established for a spiritual purpose.
Regarding the first feature, Canon 145 §2 states that “the obligations and rights proper to individual ecclesiastical offices are defined either in the law by which the office is constituted or in the decree of the competent authority by which the office is at the same time constituted and conferred”. Since obligations and rights are attached to every ecclesiastical office, one ought to fulfil the obligations attached to an office as part of one’s journey towards holiness. For instance, the office of a parish priest is an ecclesiastical office, meaning that the parish priest should exercise his duties to improve his own journey towards holiness.
The other three features mean that the obligations and rights of one who occupies an ecclesiastical office are to be exercised for the spiritual purpose for which the office was established. One who occupies an office should remember that the office was not established solely for him by the Church but for a spiritual purpose, which is ultimately geared towards promoting the salvation of souls.
Therefore, the officeholder should never forget that ecclesiastical offices are exercised in the name of the Church, which is why offices were established in a stable manner.
Among other canons, the office of the parish priest, for instance, is regulated by canon 213, which states that “Christ’s faithful have the right to be assisted by their Pastors from the spiritual riches of the Church, especially by the word of God and the sacraments.” This means that the parish priest is obliged to provide Christ’s faithful with spiritual riches, especially the word of God and the sacraments. This means that he should avoid the weaponisation of sacraments because in weaponising the sacraments, he undermines his own journey of salvation and the salvation of the people entrusted to his care. The parish priest needs to exercise his duties appropriately even if no one monitors him. The spirituality of canon law focuses on obeying the law for the sake of God rather than for commendation from superiors or the people or for ecclesiastical promotion.
Canon 156 states: “The provision of any office is to be put in writing”. This is why we get official letters when appointed to an ecclesiastical office. This letter contains the office one is appointed to, an overview of the duties of the office, the tenure, and other details. Of course, the duration of service can be altered later for pastoral reasons.
Not receiving an appointment letter or at least verbally understanding one’s job description, especially from the competent authority directly, affects the spirituality of canon law. This is because of ignorance and misinterpretation of obligations and rights. When one is ignorant of one’s duties or rights or misinterprets what needs to be done, one may fall short in fulfilling one’s duties, which helps in the holiness journey of other members of Christ’s faithful and oneself.
May God continue to help us🙏🏾
K’ọdị🙋🏾♂️
