VATICAN - “The law of the Church is first of all, lex libertatis: a law which renders us free to follow Christ” the Pope said at a Conference promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Legislative Texts

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Ius ecclesiae is not only a set of norms produced by the ecclesial Legislator for this special people, the Church of Christ. It is first and foremost an authoritative declaration on the part of the ecclesial Legislator, of the duties and rights based on the Sacraments and therefore born of Christ's own institution”. This “fundamental concept” was underlined by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on 25 January when he received in audience participants at a Study Conference on the theme "Canon Law in the life of the Church. Investigation and perspectives in the light of recent Papal Magisterium" organised by the Pontifical Commission for Legislative Texts on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Code of Canon Law. The Pope said the theme was of “great interest" since “it highlights the close bond between Canon Law and the life of the Church, in obedience to the will of Jesus Christ”.
The juridical realities indicated by the Code “form a magnificent mosaic composed of the faces of all the faithful, laity and clergy, and of all Church communities, from the universal Church to the particular Churches” said the Holy Father and, citing Blessed Antonio Rosmini, he added: “the essence of canon law is the person of the Christian in the Church…the Code of Canon Law contains norms produced by the ecclesial Legislator for the good of individuals and communities in the whole of the Mystical Body which is the Holy Church”.
The Pope continued: “For canon law to render this valuable service it must first of all be well structured. It should be anchored on the one hand to that theological basis which gives it reasonableness and is the essential title of ecclesial legitimacy; on the other hand it should be close to the changeable circumstances of the historic reality of the People of God. It should also be formulated clearly without any ambiguity and always in harmony with the other laws of the Church. It is necessary therefore to abrogate norms which are out of date; modify those which need to be corrected; interpret - in the light of the Church's living Magisterium - those which are questionable and, lastly, to fill any possible lacunae legis.”
In the last part of his discourse the Holy Father said Canon Law should be “loved and kept by all the faithful”, because “the law of the Church is first and foremost lex libertatis: a law which renders us free to follow Jesus. Therefore it is necessary to present to the People of God, the new generations and those called to make canon law respected, its concrete bond with the life of the Church, to safeguard the delicate interests of the things of God and to protect the rights of the weak, those who have no other forces to represent them, and also to protect the delicate "goods" received by every member of the faithful - the gift of faith, of God's grace, first of all - which in the Church cannot be without adequate protection on the part of the Law.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/1/2008; righe 33, parole 509)