CLSA Advisory Opinions on Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ed. by Patrick M. Cooney (review)

Every year, the Canon Law Society of America publishes a volume of Roman Replies and CLSA Advisory Opinions. The “Roman Replies” are responses from dicasteries of the Holy See to a range of questions and petitions submitted to them. The “CLSA Advisory Opinions” are just that—canonical opinions submitted by members of the society on cases and questions that have come their way regarding any and every aspect of Church law. A fair number of these opinions deal with issues arising from the various forms of consecrated life.

In CLSA Advisory Opinions on Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Benedictine Father Patrick M. Cooney has assembled more than one hundred opinions, originally published from 1987 to 2015 in Roman Replies and CLSA Advisory Opinions, on matters related to institutes and societies, as well as questions regarding the two individualized forms of consecrated life, hermits and consecrated virgins. Topics include those most relevant to today’s circumstances, such as procedures for the two ends of the life span of an institute or society: establishment and “coming to completion.” The opinions also address situations that pertain to the perennial puzzle of the role of a diocesan bishop in relation to institutes and societies, as well as the usual questions regarding formation, personal patrimony, exclaustration, etc.

This book is an excellent resource not only because it brings together in one volume all of the previously published opinions on consecrated life, but even more so because many of the opinions are authored by canonists known as the experts in this aspect of Church law, including, for example, Sharon Holland, IHM, Rose McDermott, SSJ, Paul Golden, CM, Eileen Jaramillo, Lynn Jarrell, OSU, and Daniel Ward, OSB. Another helpful attribute of the book is that it contains contradictory opinions on some questions, such as whether the finance officer of a religious institute must be a member of the institute.

Those who consult this resource need to keep in mind that a few of the opinions have become outdated because the Holy See has since provided its own response to certain questions. For example, the June 2018 instruction Ecclesiae sponsae imago from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life provides answers to a number of questions regarding the Ordo Virginum, such as the possibility of dispensation from the obligations of consecrated virginity. It should also be noted that the bulk of opinions concern religious institutes, while none of them directly address secular institutes. That is not the fault of the editor; it is a simple fact that secular institutes get little attention from canonists.

Overall, this book will prove useful to those for whom it is intended which, according to its introduction, includes not only canonists, but also “superiors of institutes and in fact . . . all religious.”