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[German Version] According to Catholic canon law, an apostate is one who totally renounces the Christian faith ( CIC c. 751), thereby committing the most serious ecclesiastical offense, punishable by automatic excommunication (c. 1364 §1); if the offense is notorious, the offender may be forbidden church burial (c. 1184 §1, n. 1). Even after returning to the faith, an apostate is considered irregular and is therefore impeded from blessings (c. 1041, n. 2). Apostasy from the Christian faith invariably means apostasy from the Catholic faith as well (cc. 194 §1, n. 2; 694 §1, n. 1). Georg May B…

[German Version] Imprimatur/Imprimi potest, certification of the ecclesial license to go to print, after due examination. According to CIC (1983) cc. 822–832 and 838, the following require the approbation or permission of the local pastoral authority, Bishops' Conference, or Apostolic See: 1. publications and translations of Holy Scripture, 2. liturgical texts and prayer books, 3. catechisms and theological textbooks, 4. compilations of church decrees or official documents. It is also recommended to solicit the j…

[German Version] From the very beginning, controversial legal cases in church affairs were decided by the bishop as judge. In the course of the Middle Ages, ecclesiastical process underwent a broad expansion. The learned judge and universal canon law assured its overwhelming acceptance. In addition to the regular adversarial process, there was an abbreviated summary court. From the beginning, ecclesiastical authority also passed judgment on purely ecclesiastical offenses. In the Middle Ages the ch…

[German Version] (Feb 23, 1874, Lauingen – Aug 29, 1950, Augsburg), ordained priest in 1899, became associate professor in Bamberg in 1911, professor in Braunsberg in 1918 and in Bonn in 1919; he became emeritus in 1939. He specialized in church history and canon law, and furthered the history of canon law, systematic canon law, and the state-church relations law. He was also the founder and editor of the series Kanonistische Studien und Texte (KStT). Georg May Bibliography Works include: Burchard I. von Worms und di…

[German Version] (Jul 22, 1866, Herxheim, Palatinate – Feb 12, 1932, Munich), was ordained to the priesthood in 1890, became pastor in Pullach (near Munich) in 1899, and associate (1900) then full professor (1910) for canon law in Bamberg. He lectured in Strasbourg from 1911 to 1918, from where he was expelled after the end of World War I, and finally bec…

[German Version] is the announcement in a consistory of a pending or recent appointment to an episcopal see. It has no constitutive significance. For quite some time, the pope has eschewed preconization, announcing only the number and (some of) the names of the bishops he has appointed since the preceding consistory. The term does not appear in CIC/1983 or the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. …

[German Version] (Jurisdiction/Power of Jurisdiction) I. Catholic Church – II. Protestant Churches. I. Catholic Church The Codex Iuris Canonici (1983) ( CIC 1983) lays out the procedures of ecclesiastical trials in Book VII. The new code had a twofold purpose: to simplify the structures and procedures of the tribunals and to expedite trials. 1. By virtue of its own – i.e. divine – and exclusive authority, the church claims jurisdiction in litigation concerning spiritual and related matters – worship, ¶ doctrine, ecclesiastical assets and offices, violation of ecclesiastic…

[German Version] In Catholic church law, the Latin word forum has several different meanings. 1. The forum canonicum is the sphere to which the authority and powers of canon law ( CIC 1983, c. 1716) or ecclesiastical jurisdiction (c. 1675 §1) apply; the latter is also called the forum iudiciale (cc. 1047 §1, 1049 §1). The forum sacramentale is the sacrament of penance (c. 508 §1); the forum civile refers to secular (state) jurisdiction (cc. 1288, 1675 §1). 2. Within the sphere of ecclesiastical law, the forum externum and the forum internum represent two different areas of one and the…

[German Version] denotes a complaint lodged with the hierarchical superior of the person who has issued (or should have issued) a decree, charging a legally significant injury. Such an appeal must be brought within a time-limit of 15 days. The regulations governing administrative recourse appear in …

[German Version] The Roman Rota is principally the ordinary court of appeal for the Latin Church in civil and criminal cases decided by lower courts of first or second instance. As court of first instance, it has jurisdiction over cases reserved to it by CIC/1983 c. 1405, §3 or assigned to it from time to time by the pope. Its legal basis is provided by CIC/1983 cc. 1443f.; CCEO c. 1065, together with the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus and norms of Apr 18, 1994. The Rota is a collegially constituted court headed by its dean, who is responsible for assigning the cases broug…

[German Version] The Apostolic Signature is the supreme tribunal of the Roman Catholic Church (Jurisdiction, Ecclesiastical: I); it also oversees the administration of justice in the church. It is made up of cardinals and bishops, and also includes major and minor officials. It is divided into three sections, with differing functions and procedures. The first section hears procedural objections…

[German Version] (Dec 16, 1899, Düsseldorf – May 15, 1973, Bonn), consecrated to the priesthood on Aug 14, 1924 in Cologne, was active for many years as pastor; he was Dr. theol. (Bonn) and Dr. jur. can. (Rome), gained his Habilitation in church law under A.M. Koeniger and …

[German Version] is one of the three ecclesial censures (Censorship) along with excommunication and suspension. It is only imposed on individuals, and no longer on places or regions and groups. The interdict automatically prohibits any service in the mass and other worship services, the administration and reception of the sacraments, and the administration of the sacramentalia. After …

[German Version] I. Old Testament – II. History – III. German Criminal Law Today – IV. Penal Canon Law (Roman Catholic) – V. Islam I. Old Testament Old Testament law (Law and legislation: II) emerged from three sources: (1) it reinforced mutual expectations based on norms of behavior by means of criminal ¶ laws supporting general prevention of criminal conduct; (2) it minimized violence by regulating conflicts through casuistic law (Law and jurisprudence: III) as the precursor of modern civil law, and (3) it regulated int…

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[English Version] . Die Röm. R. ist in der Hauptsache ordentliches Berufungsgericht für die lat. Kirche in Streit- und Strafsachen, die von untergeordneten Gerichten in erster oder zweiter Instanz entschieden wurden. In erster Instanz ist sie zuständig für die ihr nach c.1405 § 3 CIC/1983 vorbehaltenen oder vom Papst fallweise zugewiesenen Sachen. Ihre Rechtsgrundlage bilden cc.1443f. CIC/1983; c.1065 CCEO sowie die Apostolische Konstitution »Pastor Bonus« und Normen vom 18.4.1994. – Die R. ist ei…

[English Version] ist die in einem Konsistorium erfolgende Verkündigung der bevorstehenden oder geschehenen Besetzung eines Bischofsstuhles. Sie hat keine konstitutive Bedeutung. Seit geraumer Zeit verzichtet der Papst auf die P. und gibt nur die Zahl und (einige) Namen der Bischöfe bekannt, die er seit dem letzten Konsistorium ernannt hat. Der Ausdruck P. findet sich weder im CIC/1983 noch in den AAS. Georg May Bibliography R. Naz (DDC 7, 1965, 162) H. Laemmer, Institutionen des kath. Kirchenrechts, 21892, 227 W. Aymans/K. Mörsdorf (KanR 2, 1997, 337).

[English Version] . Von Anfang an wurden strittige Rechtsfälle in kirchl. Angelegenheiten vom Bischof als Richter entschieden. Im Laufe des MA gewann die kirchl. Prozeßtätigkeit eine weite Ausdehnung. Der gelehrte Richter und das kanonische Weltrecht sicherten ihr eine überaus starke Akzeptanz. Neben den ordentlichen streitigen Prozeß trat der (abgekürzte) Summarprozeß. Die kirchl. Autorität richtete auch von Anfang an über rein kirchl. Vergehen. Im MA dehnte sich die kirchl. …

[English Version] bez. erstens die bei dem hierarchischen Oberen dessen, der ein Dekret erlassen hat oder hätte erlassen müssen, wegen eines rechtlich beachtlichen Nachteils eingelegte Beschwerde (Recursus hierarchicus). R. ist innerhalb der Nutzfrist von 15 Tagen anzubringen. Die Regeln über das Verwaltungsbeschwerdeverfahren sind in den cc.1732–1739 CIC/1983 bzw. cc.996–1006 CCEO enthalte…

[English Version] ist die Gesamtheit der Behörden und Einrichtungen, die dem Papst bei der Ausübung seines höchsten Hirtenamtes Hilfe leisten zum Wohl und Dienst der Gesamtkirche und der Teilkirchen, wodurch die Einheit im Glauben und die Gemeinschaft des Gottesvolkes gestärkt werden und die der Kirche eigene Sendung in der Welt gefördert wird (Art.1 der Apostolischen Konstitution »Pastor Bonus«). Papst und röm. K. zus. bilden den Apostolischen Stuhl. Die röm. K. ist keine juristische Person. Sie …

[English Version] I. Altes Testament …

[English Version] . Die Apostolische S. ist höchstes Gericht der röm.-kath. Kirche (Gerichtsbarkeit, kirchliche: I.) und gleichzeitig oberste Gerichtsverwaltungsbehörde. Ihre Mitglieder sind Kardinäle und Bischöfe; dazu treten höhere und niedere Beamte. Sie wird in drei Sektionen mit unterschiedlichen Aufgaben und Vorgehensweisen tätig. Die erste Sektion urteilt über prozessuale Einwände gegen Entscheidungen der Untergerichte, bes. der Rota. Die zweite Sektion ist die oberste gerichtliche Instanz …