FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF WOMEN IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
A Study Based on the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches and the Code of Canon Law
Keywords:
Diaconate, Equal Rights, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, Rights and Duties of Christian Faithful, Women OrdinationAbstract
Pope Francis, while answering the questions during the final session of the Union of International Superiors' General's (UISG) meeting held in Rome in May 2016, said that he would like to study through the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith whether there could be ordained deaconesses in the Catholic Church. This answer has created a renewed interest among many within and outside the Catholic Church to look into the Canon Law of the Catholic Church to see the place and role of women in it. The Code of Canon Law (1983) of the Latin Church and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (1990) have articulated the fundamental rights and duties of every Christian faithful in the Catholic Church. This study examines critically and creatively the place and role of women in the Catholic Church, examining the long way in her understanding of the fundamental rights of women and the post-Vatican II reform of her canon law; now the Church places women on par with men regarding the fundamental rights and duties.
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