POPE CONVENES ANOTHER CONFERENCE
....and the news header the following day reads: "and nothing changed."
Let's pray this is not the case this time.
The Vatican released a press report as follows (red italics are mine and the Pope didn't authorize them):
CODE OF CANON LAW PROMULGATED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2008 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday today, a press conference was held to present a forthcoming congress on the theme: "Canon Law in the Life of the Church, research and perspectives in the context of recent Pontifical Magisterium". The event has been organised to mark the 25th anniversary of the Code of Canon Law which was promulgated on 25 January 1983.
Participating in the press conference were Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio (who has the funnest name to say fast three times) and Msgr. Juan Ignacio Arrieta, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. (What isn't there a President for? I'll bet there is a pontifical president and secretary for cleaning out the main fountain in Saint Peters and for stacking the pontifical dishes.)
"Twenty-five years ago, the long process of revising the 1917 Code of Canon Law came to an end", said Archbishop Coccopalmerio, explaining how the revision "had been announced by Pope John XXIII on the same day he proclaimed the celebration of Vatican Council II" and how it aimed "to re-examine the central corpus of the Church's legislative code in accordance with doctrinal aspects contained in the conciliar documents". (Let's hope at least one of the "conciliar documents" is the bible)
The archbishop then went on to consider differences between the Code of Canon Law and the legal codes of nations. (There is a difference? What was your first clue? Maybe most nations do not preclude any woman or married man from government office?) The former, he said, "contains the law of the Church, just as a State code contains the laws of a particular nation. And it is called 'Canon Law' because it is made up of 'canons', which are equivalent to the 'articles' of a State code". (The better to shoot you with my dear)
However the Code of Canon Law "is not just a collection of norms created by the will of ecclesiastical legislators", it "indicates the duties and rights inherent to the faithful and to the structure of the Church as instituted by Christ". (So lets hope as the 'bride of Christ' that it's foundation is laid in scripture because otherwise it's just a man made body of institutional precepts that man thought served an institution trying to worship and honor God as opposed to God instructing man how to worship and honor him-too much to ask?)
And the legislator, having identified fundamental duties and rights "also establishes a series of norms that have the aim of defining, applying and defending [those] duties and rights". (Get ready- Dust off the stocks)
"For this reason", the archbishop went on, "the Code of Canon Law is like a large and complex painting depicting the faithful and the communities within the Church, and defining the identity and 'mission' of each. And the painter of this work of art is the ecclesiastical legislator" (I thought it was supposed to be the Holy Spirit, silly me-the "mission" should be imposed from the top, that way you can entirely swing Presidential elections in other countries regardless of what the local people think) whose model comes "from the doctrine of the Church and from ... Vatican Council II, as Pope John Paul II taught us when he promulgated the current Code" (as opposed to the model taught by Jesus? Who runs this joint anyway?).
Turning his attention to some of the "novelties" of the 1983 Code with respect to that of 1917, Archbishop Coccopalmerio mentioned Canon 208 whence, he said, "arise many tangible consequences that concern all the faithful and especially the lay faithful: all are called to play an active role in the Church". (That's the non-ordination of women rule --institutional job discrimination, women need not apply--not the unfit for office Canon that allows the Pope to "resign" those priests who are deviants, homosexuals, people too ill in mind or body to honestly look up to-the ones who rake in huge funds or have great marketing appeal get to stay no matter how wierd, mean or tortured, emotional adultery with multiple church wives permitted so long as no technical sex involved and the church wives come with lots of cash and don't get any serious ideas, because women are only counted when counting tithes) Other novelties include "the definition of matters concerning the Roman Pontiff, the College of Bishops, the Synod of Bishops and the episcopal conferences". (Like the ridiculous heresy that only unmarried ones can be considered sufficiently holy unless of course they were first protestant ones that converted, or eastern rite/ byzantine when St. Peter was MARRIED-hello????)
The 1983 Code of Canon Law, said the archbishop, was, "like all human works, ... perfectible". (You don't say!!) Hence one of the aims of the current congress is "to identify certain points in need of a little restoration". (no kidding? like elimination of the mandatory celibacy rule so normal heterosexual men who were made to be with women as God created Adam and there was no other suitable helpmate, should not be driven crazy or out of the clergy; God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and steve, or Adam and deacon dave--or are they just going to call all normal heterosexual priests of unfit mind and character to be priests-like they did to ONE THIRD of all of them who left because they found married life a hell of a lot healthier and holier? )
In closing, the president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts enumerated the functions of his dicastery: "helping the supreme legislator (the Pope) to keep Church legislation as complete and up to date as possible, ... overseeing the correct application of current laws" and "helping the Pope in the delicate process of interpreting norms". (Lets hope "norms" include a few scriptural truths, a few biological ones wouldn't hurt either.)
For his part, Msgr. Arrieta affirmed that the aim of the congress is "to undertake a purposeful study ... into the progress of the application of the Code, and of all the other norms that the various offices of the Roman Curia and individual legislators have produced over the last 25 years". (It took 25 years to make up stuff this good)
The congress will begin with an "overall assessment of the development of these norms" (because if you can trace the tracks you can argue it's not off track and ignore the switch at the crossroad-or maybe you'll find that the current tracks are laid over an active volcano? Building entire institutions on false myths tend to belie the Rock principle, e.g. on this ROCK I will build my church, not on shifting sand) presented by Cardinal Julian Herranz, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, who is, said Msgr. Arrieta, "the historical memory on this subject, having followed the entire process personally since Vatican Council II". (When are they convening Vatican III?)
The secretary of the pontifical council highlighted how, due to the time limits of the congress, only some offices of the Roman Curia had been chosen to study the process of the Code's application over the last quarter of a century. (Other people may have an open mind or be younger than 70?) Thus, for example, Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, will speak on the theme: "Acceptance and operation of Canon Law in the mission lands. Cultural encounters and technical limitations".(Like we allow women and married men in positions of authority---because that is the biblical model?)
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops will deliver an address on: "Universal law and the production of norms at the level of particular Churches, episcopal conferences and particular councils", while for his part Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, will turn his attention to: "The formation of ministers of God: the teaching of Canon Law". (Formation meaning conforming to the "norms" that were made up?-If Jesus took 6 years to learn to preach he would be dead before he got his degree-if Jesus studied at the Dominican House in America they would have to expel him for letting a woman get close enough to him to wash his feet with her hair and annoint him with oil---way way too erotic!)
Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" will give a talk entitled: "Spontaneity of charity. The needs and limits of normative structures". (Translation; love me tender, love me true, just keep a safe distance because I am not allowed to fall in love with you)
On Friday, 25 January, before their scheduled audience with the Pope, Cardinal Franc Rode C.M., prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, will address the gathering on: "Consecrated life and normative structures. Experience and perspectives of the relationship between general norms and particular statutes". For his part, Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Budapest, Hungary, and president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences, will speak on: "Rigidity and elasticity of normative structures in ecumenical dialogue" (subtitled the political necessity and usefulness of fabricating the highest virtues of frigidity and barenness) . Following a brief debate , the congress will conclude with a contribution from Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. on the theme: "Canon Law and the pastoral government of the Church. The role of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts".(When do they get to the part about reading the bible?)
The congress, which is due to be held in the Vatican's Synod Hall on 24 and 25 January, will be attended by members of episcopal conferences, and by professors and students of Canon Law from Italy and the rest of the world. (Can't wait to see what they come up with-should be a fun time guaranteed for all the single white males over 70 who attend to proclaim that nothing changes-I'm holding my breath.) Canon Law 1001 will be irreverent smart-ass women can't come any more to anything.
NEXT TIME I GET TO ROME I WANT TO SEE A STATUE, A PLAQUE, SOMETHING, ANYTHING MARKING MRS. PETER POPE ANYWHERE IN THE VATICAN.
It's 2008-We can read. Here is the Canon Law - (read it for yourself and tell your Bishop what you think it should mean)
http://www.deacons.net/Canon_Law/cci.htm
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