That Which Is Just in the Church: Volume 2: The Human Person in the Church

Volume one of Prof. Carlos J. Errázuriz’s monumental treatment of canon law establishes that law in the Catholic Church is properly understood as that which is just. In the second volume, he moves to the foremost protagonist in this arena--namely, the human person. The human person is the primary holder of rights and obligations in the Church, destined for the salvation merited by Christ. The salvific goods constituted by the Word of God and the sacraments are fundamental aspects of juridical relationships and life in the Church.

Being subject to law, Errázuriz observes, does not undermine the freedom and dignity of the person. Rather, ecclesial law intends to confront the human person with his true supernatural inheritance, while preserving him in the mystery of communion within which the Church herself exists. Indeed, the human person has both natural and supernatural dignity, and likewise responsibilities that bear upon the seen and unseen realms of communion.

Prof. Errázuriz examines the practical applications of personhood and law, as well as the perspectives of the human subject that derive from his ontological status. This is further drawn across various states of life that occur within the Church and the differing juridical relations encountered. Also considered is the nature of association in the Church, and Errázuriz breaks down the concepts and particular realities pertaining to this natural tendency and the legal discipline.

Carlos José Errázuriz is Ordinary Professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome). He holds doctorates in both canon law and civil jurisprudence (University of Navarra, both). Former dean of the department, he specializes in the philosophy of law and fundamental theory of canon law and is a consultant with various entities within the Roman Curia (Vatican City). He is the author of Justice in the Church: A Fundamental Theory of Canon Law (Wilson and Lafleur: Montreal, 2009).