Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 73 No. 4, 2003.
Original scientific paper
Forms of Pastoral Units in the Code of Canon Law
Josip Šalković
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this work, the author investigates the legal-constitutive elements and forms of pastoral units in the light of the prevailing Code of Canon Law.
To foster common pastoral care on the territories of large parishes, the Code anticipates the establishment of special groups, such as deaneries (Can. 3 74, § 2). The Code leaves the determination of the most successful model for cooperation among the deaneries to the territorial law. Besides deaneries, the Code opens the possibility for common pastoral activity on multi-parish and other forms of Canonical pastoral units: a) several parishes entrusted to several priests jointly, in solidum (Can. 517, §1); b) a number of neighbouring parishes may be entrusted to one parish priest (Can, 526, §1); c) a number of parishes may be entrusted to a parish vicar in a particular pastoral sector (Can. 545, § 2); d) one or more parish communities entrusted to a deacon or other person who is not a priest or a community of persons, under the supervision of some priest with the power and faculties of a parish priest (Can. 517, § 2).
Several neighbouring parishes in which the faithful are united by social, historical and geographical bonds are privileged places of cooperation, not only for reasons of utility but as an expression and profession of the mystery of the Church itself. The increasing shortage of priests for the care of souls, effective distribution of personnel, and the fostering of successful and coordinated common pastoral activity demonstrate the need for thinking about the possible forms of common pastoral activity on the territory of several parishes, i.e. in legally established pastoral units in the light of the Code of Canon Law.
Through commentary and comparison of canon legal sources and literature, the author presents: I. Legal-constitutive elements of pastoral units; II. Canon forms of pastoral units.
Keywords
Code; parish; deanery; pastoral unit; common pastoral activities
Hrčak ID:
27509
URI
Publication date:
10.2.2004.
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