Review article

Religious Associations and Voluteering in the Light of the Code of Canon Law

Mato Mićan ; Catholic Faculty of Theology in Đakovo, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek

Abstract

Using measures of precaution and attentiveness, the Church has always emphasised the right of the believers to form associations, but the Second Vatican Council speaks of religious associations in a completely new way. In its Decree Apostolicam actuositatem, No. 18, believers are called to perform apostolic activities. The Council text Presbyterorum ordinis, nos. 8 and 3 is about the societies that ought to be appreciated and promoted by presbyters. Code on Canon Law from 1983 directly confi rms the right of the believers to associate freely and to govern societies (Can. 215) in the spirit of the II Vatican Council. In the Canons 298-329 we do not only fi nd the call to free association, but also the spirit of legislation on religious societies. Can. 298, §1 presents the reasons why any kind of association can be established within the Church. Can. 298, §1
exposes the actual typological difference between the societies established by the Church authority, and the associations recognized by the same authority, emphasising the distinction between public (Can. 301, §3) and private associations (Can. 299, §2). All the societies should, besides according to common law, also be regulated according to their own statutes and other special regulations. Article 14 of the treaty between the Holy See and Croatia about the legal issues depicts the right of the believers to found associations for causes they share with the Church and guarantees full freedom in activities and public appearance, but the Church still leaves a possibility to those who want to create their
own statute which will also be recognized by public authorities. Religious association can thus become a civil organization. There are more and more of them. Activities of religious associations are very important and are often expressed through voluntary work. Volunteering as a phenomenon has become relevant in the recent decades, so the necessity to speak out through the activities of the
religious associations has been considered within the Church.

Keywords

Church; Code of Canon Law; believers’ associations; purpose and types of religious associations; statute and name; volunteering; religious associations and voluntary work

Hrčak ID:

36303

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/36303

Publication date:

29.1.2009.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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