Ancora sul concetto di diritto soggettivo nell’ordinamento della Chiesa

Abstract

The paper discuses one of the most commented topic in the contemporary science of canon law, that is the bill of subjective rights and obligations set by the ecclesiastical legislator in the Code of canon law for the Western Church. The author analyses the concept of those rights and obligations in the light of the Principles of revision elaborated by the first Synod of Bishops held in 1967. One of the commission’s first actions was to draft a set of principles to guide the work of rethinking the Code, especially the significance of rights and obligations of the Christian faithful. Given the nature of the Catholic Church developed by the Second Vatican Council (communion and participation), the examination of this document let the author to affirm that the main goal was to emphasise the exercise of authority that should have appear more clearly as service and should be free from abuse rather to define and safeguard the rights of persons. Furthermore, it was also possible to determine the correct intention of the Synod Fathers whose idea was to define the subjective rights in term of liberties in the same way in which they are obtainable in catalogues of human rights. Eventually, the author demonstrates consequences related to the new vision of rights and obligations highlighting for example the clear priority of obligations over rights.