THE CONCEPT OF CHURCH SUI IURIS IN CCEO

Authors

  • Sebastian Vaniyapurackal Curia Bishop, Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, Kerala, India

Keywords:

etymology, commonalities, autonomy, orthodox, catholic, hierarchy, constitutive elements, autocephalous, jurisdiction

Abstract

The term “Church sui iuris” is contributed to the canonical and ecclesiological realms by the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. This article provides some fundamental details about the concept of Church sui iuris as defined by canon 27 of the Eastern Code. In the first part the article presents the etymology of the term, the nature of the autonomy enjoyed by these Churches, the differences in the perspectives of Catholic and Orthodox Churches regarding the autonomous nature of the individual Churches. Finally, it explains the different elements of the canonical definition of Church sui iuris. The Author outlines the four constitutive elements of a Church sui iuris: community of Christian faithful, hierarchy, norm of law and recognition from the supreme authority. The author establishes that even before a Church sui iuris is recognized as such, it is first and foremost a Church: a community of faithful with determined hierarchy and other qualities prescribed by CCEO c. 28.

Author Biography

Sebastian Vaniyapurackal, Curia Bishop, Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Church, Kerala, India

Bishop Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal holds a licentiate and doctorate in Canon Law from the Santa Croce University, Rome. He belongs to the eparchy of Kanjirapally and was ordained a priest in 1992. After his ordination he served as the eparchy’s Director of Yuvadeepti, Vicar in Pazhaya–Koratty, Poomattom, Chennakunnu and Mulamkunnu etc., he served the eparchy of Kanjirapally in the tribunal as a judge and later as Judicial Vicar. While serving as Vice-Chancellor of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal curia, Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala, he was ordained as curia bishop of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal curia in 2017. He has authored many scholarly articles in national and international journals.

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Published

2020-08-02

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2018): Iustitia: Dharmaram Journal of Canon Law

Section

Articles