Customer Reviews

The Rights of Catholics in the Church

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a very positive book. It not only goes through your rights in the Church, but your responsibilities as well, a nice balance and set of reminders.

Professor of Catholic church law Reverend James A. Coriden presents The Rights of Catholics in the Church, a straightforward basic reference for those seeking to know their rights as Catholics under canon law. Chapters offer an overview of the rights of Catholics in the church, including rights to pastoral care, rights to initiatives and activities, rights connected to one's state in life, rights to formation and education, and rights to due process. A final section outlining the limitations on and defenses of one's rights in the church rounds out this solid, easy-to-follow primer.

Very helpful, objective review of what canon law says about the rights of the Catholic faithful. Not polemical in any way. Clear, concise.

I purchased this book because the topic interested me and I was pleased with Fr. Coriden's "Introduction to Canon Law" book which I have also written a review for. Where that book is basically balanced this one is not. As I read through the book my opinion of it and Coriden's agenda went down lower and lower to the point that I don't hesitate giving it one star.

At the very beginning of the introduction he states that "the book is written in straightforward language and without footnotes." And then, that it is "a reference book on rights." This should make a reader suspicious because, aside from the odd concept of a reference book without sufficient sources cited, when an author initially absolves himself from having to carefully back up what he is saying, he can then freely steer the book in whatever direction he wishes and work in whatever agenda he is partial to.

The liberal Catholic agenda is in some places subtle and in other places not so subtle. In some places this book is outright deceptive.

When listing Catholic groups at different places to illustrate a point he frequently mentions some of the most radical groups such as "Call to Action", "Voice of the Faithful" and "Future Church" which have anything but an objective of fidelity. Coriden seems to align himself with the more leftist Catholic organizations; there is even a picture on the "Future Church" website of Father Coriden (In a snappy suit and neck tie) who was present to speak at one of there conferences.

He criticizes the Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska for excommunicating members of Call to Action in his diocese. (pg. 73-74) Like many of the brief case studies, it appeals heavily to emotions and portrays an oppressive authoritative Church that tramples all over the rights of kindly, free-spirited liberal Catholics. Coriden fails though, to mention that in 2006 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) upheld the action of the Bishop of Lincoln.

Father Coriden's treatment of the rights of divorced and remarried (outside the Church) Catholics is to me the most odious part of the book. He drops hints about the so-called "internal forum solution" but does not go so far to explicitly call it by name or advocate it. This "solution" is basically the abuse of when a priest, dealing with a couple that does not wish to pursue an annulment or that has been denied an annulment, tells the couple that he actually knows them, he knows the real story and that he also has the real insight into why the first marriage is invalid, not the big-bad diocesan tribunal. Therefore, the priest will allow them to receive communion and, at times, even perform a kind of shameful clandestine marriage which is canonically illicit.

Father Coriden, who as he stated in the introduction, does not want to trouble the reader with too many footnotes or citations, does not mention, though, that that the 1994 CDF "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church Concerning the Reception of Holy Communion by the Divorced and Remarried Members of the Faithful" spells out specific requirements for a divorced and remarried couple to receive Communion: that that the couple would have to live in live in complete continence (as brother and sister), that they need to be repentant and receive sacramental absolution, and that scandal must be avoided. The idea, also, of a priest performing a kind of "private" (not to mention, illicit) marriage to put their consciences at ease is abhorrent.

Instead of giving an honest treatment this not uncommon situation, Father Coriden states that "if the church's legal process is not available to the person or is extremely burdensome, the basic right to marry prevails." (pg. 90) - Anyone, then, would be eligible for the "internal forum solution" because the fact of the matter is that annulment processes are always "burdensome" to a greater or lesser degree.

At the end of a case study dealing with a woman who wishes to remarry but is unable to obtain an annulment, the comment on the case that Coriden gives is that "she may be able to find a priest who will concur with her judgment that her [first] marriage to Steve was not valid, and who will witness her marriage even though she does not obtain an annulment from a tribunal." (pg. 92) This truly is the most deceptive part of the book.

The book takes weak and left-leaning positions on a number of other canonical issues. Not surprisingly, the question of whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should be permitted to receive Holy Communion.

I cringe at the thought of this book on the shelf of a parish priest or lay leader in a parish or Catholic institution. A book for the non-canon lawyer, even one that is meant to be simultaneously readable and informational, still needs to be above agenda. It should especially be above a sneaky agenda of dissent.

THIS BOOK WAS NOT WORTH THE PRICE THAT I PAID FOR IT.