Canon 149 of the code of Canon LawDetermining the suitability of a candidate for an ecclesiastical office

Abstract

"Canon 149 of the Code of Canon Law: Determining the Suitability of a Candidate for an Ecclesiastical Office" Keywords: Evaluation, Laity, Professionalism Suitability for ecclesiastical office includes communion in the Church,technical expertise,and specific personal qualities.It is regulated by the norms of universal law,local policies and the prudence and discretion of the competent authority.A theoretical treatise compares and contrasts suitability for ecclesiastical offices to similar concepts.The primordial qualification for ecclesiastical offices in general is baptism.Suitability for an ecclesiastical office requires specific formal preparation and skills.These requirements should be safeguarded and not easily dispensed.The right person for the right post is advocated throughout.The evaluation of suitability for an ecclesiastical office includes three steps:confirmation that a specific candidate fulfills the basic requirements,oversight of continued suitability at regular intervals, and removal of incumbents when their suitability is manifestly compromised. The legislative and historical regulation of suitability for ecclesiastical offices is discussed at length.The specific requirements for ecclesiastical offices is detailed, including for the papacy,cardinals,bishops,judges,promoters of justice & defenders of the bond, procurators & advocates, chancellors & notaries, episcopal vicars & vicars general,diocesan finance officers,rectors,professors, & professors of religion at Catholic and ecclesiastical universities, pastors,rectors of churches,chaplains & vicars forane.The Online Policy Compendium of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul Minneapolis is studied as an example of local regulation of suitability requirements.This thesis advances the discussion of the suitability of laity for ecclesiastical positions offering practical considerations and specific tools to evaluate their suitability and foster their increased active participation in the Church