Cardinal: Footnote in Querida Amazonia Quotes Canon Law Selectively
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The footnote says that, “it is possible that, due to a lack of priests, a bishop can entrust “participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish… to a deacon, to another person who is not a priest, or to a community of persons” (Code of Canon Law, 517 §2).”
Cordes stresses that the quote omits the phrase which requires the bishop to appoint a priest in charge of the pastoral care.
Canon Law 517 §2 states in full:
“If, because of a lack of priests, the diocesan bishop has decided that participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish is to be entrusted to a deacon, to another person who is not a priest, or to a community of persons, he is to appoint some priest who, provided with the powers and faculties of a pastor, is to direct the pastoral care.“
Picture: Paul Josef Cordes, © Karl-Michael Soemer , CC BY-SA, #newsGbklcyigqg
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