189. The spirituality of canon law: Obedience to the law
Why do we obey Church laws? To avoid punishment from the superior, to be praised, or to do the will of God as we journey towards holiness?
Why do we obey Church laws? To avoid punishment from the superior, to be praised, or to do the will of God as we journey towards holiness?
The spirituality of canon law asks: Does a law that ought to promote order and discipline in the ecclesial society also seek to promote holiness and holistic salvation of the souls of the legislator as well as the recipients of the law?
The spirituality of canon law concerns how Church laws serve Christians in their journey towards holiness so that they may save their souls holistically and make heaven on the last day.
If the salvation of souls stems from divine mercy, and the Church, to whom it is entrusted the continuation of Christ’s saving work, has the salvation of souls as its primary purpose and the absolute guiding principle of its laws, it means that mercy is an intrinsic part of canon law.
The immediate purpose of canon law as a legal system and science is to compose its norms and institutions in such a way that they are directed to the supreme pastoral purpose of salus animarum,
The numerous exceptions granted in relaxing ecclesiastical discipline and remission of ecclesiastical penalties, especially in the danger of death, show the salvation of souls as the supreme law of the Church.
The injunction to be holy as the Lord our God is holy (Lev 19:1) is the foundation of the spirituality of canon law
Christian spirituality means one’s entire life as understood, felt, imagined and decided upon in relationship to God, in Christ Jesus, empowered by the Spirit.
We can always consider media bias and framing when examining news about the Church, especially the negative ones.
Our current attitude as Christians towards single mothers is the seeming discrepancy between our emphasis on the promotion of life and our reaction to these women.