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Historical & Cultural Contexts of the 1983 Codex. The Council Governs the Code. The Council Governs the Code. The 1983 revision of the Codex was a direct result of the work of Vatican Council II Pope John XXIII already had planned for it in 1963, not long after he convoked the Council
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Historical & Cultural Contextsof the 1983 Codex The Council Governs the Code
The Council Governs the Code • The 1983 revision of the Codex was a direct result of the work of Vatican Council II • Pope John XXIII already had planned for it in 1963, not long after he convoked the Council • Pope Paul VI set a group working on the revision in 1965, just after the Council concluded
Principles of Revision • The commission for the revision of the Code devised ten specific principles of revision, which were approved by the 1967 Synod of Bishops (see Coriden, p. 36) • The Code defines and protects the rights and obligations of the faithful in relation to one another and to the church
Revision of the Code • The 1983 revision of the Codex was developed as a result of the Council, and in light of the conciliar documents • The canons themselves use the language of these conciliar documents • The very structure of the Code reflects the schema of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium on the Church, one of the two most significant conciliar decrees
The Council Governs the Code • Pope John Paul II explicitly connected the new Code with the Council when he promulgated it, claiming that the Code reflects the work, theology, and spirit of the Council • Thus, the canons must be interpreted in light of the conciliar decrees and constitutions which gave rise to them • It is the teaching of the Council which will determine the most faithful understanding and application of these canons
Discussion • What do you think is the significance of this point that the Council governs the Code? • Which of the principles of revision do you think are the most/least important? • What would be different if the Code were to govern our interpretation of the Council? • What would you do in a case where it seems that a particular canon goes counter to the teaching of the Council? How would you resolve this difficulty? • What other questions do you have on this topic, or on the other material from this morning?