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Parish Through History and Today

Jure Brkan ; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska

Sažetak

This work has been divided into two parts: I. parish throughout the history of God's people and 2. parish in the Code of Canon Law from 1983. The first part was treated by historic-legal method while the second one by legal-pastoral method.
On the basis of accessible sources and the literature consulted we can say for a fact that from the earliest times of Church parish has been an important church, pastoral and organizational institution; even the first Christian communities were organized on the charismatic and institutional basis. The Christian's religious life was going on first in towns and then out of them (villages and settlements). Paris was run by the bishop, cor-episcop, and later on by the parish priest who was it own shepherd. Today, if one is to be valididly appointed to the post of the parish priest, he has to be given the holy order by the presbytery (can. 521, §1).
Parish used to be organized on regional basis; Tridential Council specifically defined the parish as a part of diocese. Such organization of the diocese or the parish was adopted by the Code of Canon Law from 1917 (can, 216, § 1-4). It stipulated that the area of a diocese had to be divided into separate districts - parishes with a certain number of believers and its own church and spiritual father. It also stipulated that several parishes formed a deanery, and that missionary regions were also organized as parishes-quasiparoeciae. The Code from 1917 allowed that separate parishes could be founded in the same area for the believers of different languages and nationalities, or family parishes or personal parishes, but always with a special permission of the Holy See.
It is well known that in the last century, especially after the Second Vatican Council, religious, economic, social and political circumstances required that the same Gospel was preached to every being but in a new way and by new methods. That is the reason why the Code from 1917 was rearranged in the spirit of the times and according to the needs of God's people - the Church.
The church Code of Canon Law, which came into force on 27th November 1983, placed »God's people« in the II. book, chapter VI »parishes, parish priests and parish vicars«. In this work the canons 515 and 518 are specially treated. From them one can learn that the parish is; namely, here the parish is described as a defined community of believers, permanently established in the particulare Church, for which the pastoral care, under the authority of the diocesan bishop, is in the charge of the parish priest as its own shepherd; as a rule the parts is regional. It is also allowed to establish personal parishes where it is advisable, if it is because of the believers' rite, language or nationality in the area concerned, or because of some other reason. The parish can be founded, dissolved or restored only by the diocesan bishop, after he has taken advice from the presbytery council; a parish, legally founded according to the law, has its legal identity. This right is recognized to it by the Contract on legal questions between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia (act 2. No 2 and 3). The last part of this work gives a synthesis in 12 points, some differences between the Code from 1983 and the old legislature and customs about such an important church institution - the parish. It is also important to stress here that the Code from 1983 stipulates that donative system has to be reorganized and that the parish employees have to be supported from the parish funds.

Ključne riječi

Code of Canon Law; diocesan bishop; parish; parish priest; »defined community of believers«

Hrčak ID:

29034

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/29034

Datum izdavanja:

15.1.2003.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 1.453 *