Fede, evangelizzazione e diritto canonico ed. by Ìñigo Martínez-Echevarría (review)

Fede, evangelizzazione e diritto canonicocontains a collection of eight essays presented in conjunction with the 17th study meeting of the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross held in Rome on April 11–12, 2013. The meeting occurred during the Year of Faith declared by Pope Benedict XVI, now emeritus, the celebration of which continued in the initial months of the pontificate of Pope Francis. The scholars undertook a rather timely look at the intersection of faith and canon law, particularly with regard to efforts in the Church to teach, to evangelize and to be evangelized. The study meeting was divided into four topical sessions, with two papers being presented during each session. The edited papers are produced in the current volume.

His Eminence, Gerhard Cardinal Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, chaired the first session. The first paper, presented by Monsignor Carlos José Errázuriz, addresses the role of faith and reason in canon law (13–29). Reverend Mauro Rivella, now Secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, takes up the topic of faith in the teaching function of the Church, while engaging and integrating a variety of canonical norms that regulate the teaching function of the Church embodied in Book III of the Code of Canon Law, as well as certain rights and obligations of the Christian faithful to engage in teaching and evangelizing that are embodied in Book II of the code (31–43). The norms include: canon 216 (right to promote apostolic action); canon 218 (right to engage in freedom of inquiry while submitting to the magisterium of the Church); canon 225 §1 (obligation to make known the divine message); canon 226 §2 (parents' obligation to educate their children in the faith); canon 229 (right to acquire and announce Christian doctrine); canon 748 §1 (obligation to seek and observe truth); canon 749 (subjects of infallibility); canon 750 (levels of infallible teaching); canon 751 (heresy, apostasy and schism); canon 752 (non-infallible teachings); canon 754 (obligation to observe constitutions and decrees); canon 762 (obligation of sacred ministers to preach the word of God and hold preaching in esteem); canon 769 (accommodation of Christian doctrine to the condition of the listeners); canon 771 §1 (obligation to preach the word of God to those without sufficient and ordinary pastoral care); canon 772 §2 (observance of the norms from the episcopal conference for radio and TV talks on Christian doctrine); canon 823 §1 (bishop's right to review writings on faith and morals); and canon 831 §2 (establishment of norms from the episcopal conference for clerics and members of religious institutes to give radio or TV talks on doctrine or morals).

The second session, chaired by His Eminence, Stanisław Cardinal Ryłko, then president of the former Pontifical Council for the Laity, focuses on the role of the lay Christian faithful for teaching and evangelization. In the first paper of this second session, Professor Giorgio Feliciani considers the rights and duties of the Christian faithful for evangelization and teaching in the Church, as well as the locus of the family, which holds a privileged place to pass on the faith (45–62). Then, Professor Gaetano Lo Castro addresses in a more general manner the role of the lay Christian faithful in the Church (63–79). Within this discussion, he gives particular attention to the importance of the obligation of members of the Christian faithful to promote the divine message throughout the world and to witness to its importance through the manner in which they conduct their affairs, as embodied in canon 225 (75–76).

Monsignor José Tomás Martín de Agar chaired the third session, which takes up the important theme of religious liberty. Professor Francisca Pérez-Madrid addresses an emerging topic, which is particularly relevant currently in Canada and seems to be spreading to other areas...