Papers by George Thekkekara
The same expression is used by the Council to denote dioceses too (Lumen Gentium, 23). 18 George ... more The same expression is used by the Council to denote dioceses too (Lumen Gentium, 23). 18 George Nedungatt, "Churches sui iuris and Rites (cc. 27-41), in George Nedungatt, ed., A Guide to the Eastern Code, (Kanonika 10),
Eastern Legal Thought, 2024
The significance of evaluating the existing norm
of the Syro-Malabar Church on Parish Assembly
ga... more The significance of evaluating the existing norm
of the Syro-Malabar Church on Parish Assembly
gains relevance when considered against the backdrop of
its historical practices. Canon 295 of the Eastern Code
explicitly mandates particular laws to legislate on suitable
councils within the parish for addressing pastoral and
financial matters. In response to this directive in the Eastern
Code, the synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Major
Archiepiscopal Church promulgated the “Palliyogam–
Procedure Rules” (PPR). These rules govern and regulate
various aspects concerning the councils operating within
the parish structure. This article published in the Eastern Legal Thought attempts to evaluate these Rules in the present context.
Eastern Legal Thought, 2023
The hierarchical structure of the Church is arranged differently in the Eastern and Latin Churche... more The hierarchical structure of the Church is arranged differently in the Eastern and Latin Churches. The latter has a bipartite hierarchical structure involving the universal Church and the particular Church in the sense of an eparchy. The Latin Code deals with the hierarchical constitution of the Church in Book II, Part II. Section one deals with the supreme authority in the Church, and section two deals with the particular Churches (dioceses) and their groupings. The Eastern Code deals with these matters in Titles III and VII. Between these titles, we see titles IV (De Ecclesiis Patriarchalibus), Title V (De Ecclesiis Archiepiscopalibus Maioribus) and Title VI (De Ecclesiis Metropolitanis Ceterisque Ecclesiis Sui Iuris), which are specific to the Eastern Code. These are four grades of Eastern Catholic Churches, each considered a Church sui iuris and governed by CCEO and one’s particular laws. These Churches belong to different ecclesiastical traditions such as Alexandrian, Antiochian, Armenian, Chaldean and Constantinopolitan.
Encounter, 2022
The evangelizing mission is at the core of the Church’s existence. The very life of the Church i... more The evangelizing mission is at the core of the Church’s existence. The very life of the Church is for the fulfilment of this function. The various structures within the Church are to facilitate the mission of evangelization. Parish is the primary center for evangelization. The Instruction of the Congregation for the Clergy, “The pastoral conversion of the parish community in the evangelizing mission of the Church” (20 July
2020), highlights this predominant role of the Church. All the Christian faithful have this primary duty of evangelization. Pastoral care is intended to equip the faithful to participate in this function, though in varying degrees, according to each one’s status. Though the parish priest or
pastor has the principal role in pastoral care, the collaboration
of various bodies through which the faithful can render their
cooperation will enhance it and make it more effective. The
ecclesiastical structure admits two such bodies - the finance
council and the parish pastoral council - to facilitate this
participation and cooperation at the parish level. If such
bodies do not exist or lack an active role, a structural reform
of the parish may become essential.
Eastern Legal Thought, 2022
In a religiously heterogeneous society where the social distance between religions is less, it is... more In a religiously heterogeneous society where the social distance between religions is less, it is quite natural that more interreligious marriages occur. Today, it is a social reality that inter-religious marriages celebrated in the Church after dispensation from the impediment of disparity of cult are on the increase. The Catholic Church has well-established norms regarding inter ecclesial or inter-religious marriages. The inter-religious marriages involve an impediment of disparity of cult, for ordinarily, marriage is permitted between two baptized persons only. This article is an attempt to analyze common law on the disparity of cult marriages and the particular laws of the Syro-Malabar Church and make a few concrete proposals to revise the particular law of the Syro-Malabar Church for more clarity in this regard.
Qanona 8, 2021
Vatican Council II presents the Church as “a sign and instrument both of a very closely-knit unio... more Vatican Council II presents the Church as “a sign and instrument both of a very closely-knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race. Therefore, every Christian faithful has to reach out in love to all other Christians, overcoming the differences that divide one from the other, acting in hope and prayer However, the course of action determined by the ecclesiastical norms based on sound doctrine helps the faithful carry out this function with clarity and fervour. The ecumenical face of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) has been the point of interest of many canonists in the past. Still, studies are going on in the light of new developments in the field of ecumenism. In this paper, I venture to look into the ecumenical nuances of the canonical legislation in the Eastern Code.
Eastern Legal Thought, Vol 17, 2021
Information technology explores itself and expands into new paradigms and reveals new facets each... more Information technology explores itself and expands into new paradigms and reveals new facets each day. The internet, which is a composition of several thousand networks, is the fastest growing network in history, and with this, communication becomes more rapid and cheaper. Therefore, people rely, more and more, on electronic media to meet their everyday needs. The electronic media has taken commerce and contracts to new horizons, developing new styles called e-commerce and e-contracts. The various governments become obliged to provide necessary laws to safeguard the enforceability of such agreements. In this article, we look into the relevant consumer protection rules in India.
Eastern Legal Thought , 2007
Pope John Paul II affirms in his discourse of presentation of CCEO on 25 Oct. 1990: “There is no... more Pope John Paul II affirms in his discourse of presentation of CCEO on 25 Oct. 1990: “There is no norm in the Code that does not promote the path of unity among all Christians.” At the same time, we have still in mind the statement of Pope Paul VI, that papal primacy is the greatest stumbling block in the path of ecumenism. Metropolitan John Zizoulous of Pergamon, in ‘Primacy in the Church: An Orthodox Approach’ makes it clear that “the most important and at the same time the most difficult problem in the Roman Catholic-Orthodox relations is undoubtedly that of papal primacy”. In this context, it seems to be interesting to make a study of can. 43 of Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium (CCEO), since it deals with the power of the Roman Pontiff in the Catholic Church.
Eastern Legal Thought, 2020
The Chieti document was a step forward in ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic and the Orthod... more The Chieti document was a step forward in ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches regarding the question of primacy. The document entitled “Synodality and Primacy During the First Millennium: Towards a Common Understanding in Service to the Unity of the Church,” was announced at the conclusion of a plenary session of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches conducted at Chieti in Italy. From an ecumenical point of view the power and jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome had always been the main point of difference between the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches. The Catholic Church teaches as a doctrine of faith that the bishop of Rome is the successor of Peter in his primatial service in the universal Church. The canonical legislation of this doctrine of the Church is found in c. 43 of the Eastern Code, which is the counter part of c. 431 of the Code of Canon Law. This canon has its immediate source Lumen Gentium (LG) and Christus Dominus (CD), especially LG 20, 22 and CD 2. Now, coming to the power of the patriarchs, the same Vatican Council II desired to re-establish the rights and privileges of the patriarchal Churches according to the ancient traditions of each Church and the decrees of the ecumenical councils, as we read in OE 9. How far has this desire been fulfilled is a question to be asked in the ecumenical realm. The article tries to answer the question from a canonical point of view. Has the Catholic Church restored the rights and privileges of the Eastern patriarchal Churches in accordance with the ancient tradition of those Churches?
Eastern Legal Thought 15, 2019
Human passion for materialising ideals such as natural rights, moral autonomy, human dignity and ... more Human passion for materialising ideals such as natural rights, moral autonomy, human dignity and equality, against the back ground of continuous and ruthless violations of human rights in the course of centuries, finally led to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on 10 December 1948. The charter of rights and obligations in Canon Law (CCEO cc. 7-26; CIC cc. 204-223) was inspired by this Universal Declaration, though the latter did not contain any mention on duties or obligations.
Concern for the basic rights of Christian faithful is part of the Gospel values to which the Church has to give witness. In fact the rights and obligations in the Church are meant to build up the Church. The primary duty of the Church is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the basis for the rights and the corresponding duties of all Christian faithful.
Conference Presentations by George Thekkekara
KANONIKA 31, 2024
In his early literary works as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict
XVI made a significant a... more In his early literary works as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict
XVI made a significant assertion: “Rome must not require more from the
East with respect to the doctrine of primacy than had been formulated and
was lived in the first millennium.”1 This statement forms a foundational
pillar for our discussion. Our inquiry focuses on crucial aspects related
to primacy during the first millennium. This prompts an exploration of
historical modalities of exercising primacy across different epochs and an
investigation into the diverse perspectives held by Eastern Churches, both
those situated within and outside the confines of the Roman Empire. Precision in addressing these questions is essential.
As suggested by the title, this work embarks on a dual examination: 1)
a thorough analysis of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium, and 2) a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing ecumenical
dialogues with the Orthodox Churches. This study is organized into two
sections dedicated to these interconnected yet distinctive topics to ensure
coherence and clarity.
QANONA 5 (OIRSI Canonical Studies), 2020
In recent years, the ecclesiastical discipline confirms that the Catholic Church demonstrates zer... more In recent years, the ecclesiastical discipline confirms that the Catholic Church demonstrates zero tolerance towards the offenses against minors committed by clerics. Besides the norms of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Pope John Paul II published the Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio, Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela (SST) on 30 April 2001, which dealt with the more grave delicts reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). On 21 May 2010, the CDF published the revised Substantive Norms of SST for dealing with clerics committing these delicts. Some revisions were introduced in the document by the Rescripta ex Audientia of 3 and 6 December 2019. The CDF had issued a Circular Letter on 3 May 2011 to assist Episcopal Conferences in developing guidelines for dealing with minor sexual abuse cases perpetrated by clerics. The Motu Proprio of Pope Francis, Vos Estis Lux Mundi (VELM), published on 7 May 2019 deals with sexual offences of the clerics and the religious against minors and vulnerable adults. According to this document, the cover-ups of the above-stated crime committed are equally punishable. A new document, "Vademecum on Certain Points of Procedure in Treating Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors Committed by Clerics" has been published by the CDF on 16 July 2020. Presented as a supplement to art. 6 of the Substantive Norms of Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela, the document gives the details regarding the process the hierarchs have to undertake while dealing with the cases of sexual abuse of minors committed by clerics. As clarified in the Vademecum itself, these are not new norms that substitute or alter the present canonical legislation; instead, they explain the various procedures involved in handling a delictum gravius. The intention is to "assist Dioceses, Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Episcopal Conferences and the various ecclesiastical circumscriptions to better understand and implement the requirements of justice regarding" it.
Qanona , 2019
This article deals with clerical formation basing on The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerd... more This article deals with clerical formation basing on The Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (2016), which replaces the previous ratio, first issued in 1970 and updated in 1985. Clerical formation has different aspects and dimensions and there are a large number of persons involved in it. The process of clerical formation, then, is the effort to bring out the Christ in the candidate. On the one side, it has an aspect of self realization, i.e., the candidate realizes the Christ in him and exclaims as St. Paul did: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2: 20). On the other side, other people must feel and experience the presence of Christ in the person of a priest. The priest must completely be transformed into a man of charity, after the example of the complete self giving of Christ and of his compassion. Where and when does this transformation take place? In the seminary?, or at the moment of ordination?, or even after that? In order to answer these questions, we have to see in detail who all are involved in the process of priestly formation.
Qanona, 2017
The Catholic Church has well established norms regarding the pious wills and the pious foundation... more The Catholic Church has well established norms regarding the pious wills and the pious foundations. This is a clear indication of the depth of her commitment to the faithful fulfilment of these obligations. The executors of pious wills, whether inter vivos or mortis causa, and the physical or juridic persons who receive goods in trust for establishing foundations are to observe these norms diligently. The hierarchs are duty bound to keep vigilance over the execution of such wills and foundations. Since this is intended to assure the careful fulfilment of the intentions of donors, even the donor cannot do away with this supervisory role of the hierarch. This is an effort to explain the present norms in the Oriental Code.
Qanona 4, 2019
The erection of the Eparchy of Shamshabad for the Syro-Malabar Church in India on 10 October 2017... more The erection of the Eparchy of Shamshabad for the Syro-Malabar Church in India on 10 October 2017 together with the restoration of the rights of evangelization in an all-India level is historic in several respects. In this paper, I try to analyze the gradual extension of the right to evangelization of the Syro-Malabar Church in India through the erection of various Exarchies/Eparchies and the new evangelization projects of the Syro-Malabar Church in the changed situation.
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Papers by George Thekkekara
of the Syro-Malabar Church on Parish Assembly
gains relevance when considered against the backdrop of
its historical practices. Canon 295 of the Eastern Code
explicitly mandates particular laws to legislate on suitable
councils within the parish for addressing pastoral and
financial matters. In response to this directive in the Eastern
Code, the synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Major
Archiepiscopal Church promulgated the “Palliyogam–
Procedure Rules” (PPR). These rules govern and regulate
various aspects concerning the councils operating within
the parish structure. This article published in the Eastern Legal Thought attempts to evaluate these Rules in the present context.
2020), highlights this predominant role of the Church. All the Christian faithful have this primary duty of evangelization. Pastoral care is intended to equip the faithful to participate in this function, though in varying degrees, according to each one’s status. Though the parish priest or
pastor has the principal role in pastoral care, the collaboration
of various bodies through which the faithful can render their
cooperation will enhance it and make it more effective. The
ecclesiastical structure admits two such bodies - the finance
council and the parish pastoral council - to facilitate this
participation and cooperation at the parish level. If such
bodies do not exist or lack an active role, a structural reform
of the parish may become essential.
Concern for the basic rights of Christian faithful is part of the Gospel values to which the Church has to give witness. In fact the rights and obligations in the Church are meant to build up the Church. The primary duty of the Church is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the basis for the rights and the corresponding duties of all Christian faithful.
Conference Presentations by George Thekkekara
XVI made a significant assertion: “Rome must not require more from the
East with respect to the doctrine of primacy than had been formulated and
was lived in the first millennium.”1 This statement forms a foundational
pillar for our discussion. Our inquiry focuses on crucial aspects related
to primacy during the first millennium. This prompts an exploration of
historical modalities of exercising primacy across different epochs and an
investigation into the diverse perspectives held by Eastern Churches, both
those situated within and outside the confines of the Roman Empire. Precision in addressing these questions is essential.
As suggested by the title, this work embarks on a dual examination: 1)
a thorough analysis of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium, and 2) a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing ecumenical
dialogues with the Orthodox Churches. This study is organized into two
sections dedicated to these interconnected yet distinctive topics to ensure
coherence and clarity.
of the Syro-Malabar Church on Parish Assembly
gains relevance when considered against the backdrop of
its historical practices. Canon 295 of the Eastern Code
explicitly mandates particular laws to legislate on suitable
councils within the parish for addressing pastoral and
financial matters. In response to this directive in the Eastern
Code, the synod of bishops of the Syro-Malabar Major
Archiepiscopal Church promulgated the “Palliyogam–
Procedure Rules” (PPR). These rules govern and regulate
various aspects concerning the councils operating within
the parish structure. This article published in the Eastern Legal Thought attempts to evaluate these Rules in the present context.
2020), highlights this predominant role of the Church. All the Christian faithful have this primary duty of evangelization. Pastoral care is intended to equip the faithful to participate in this function, though in varying degrees, according to each one’s status. Though the parish priest or
pastor has the principal role in pastoral care, the collaboration
of various bodies through which the faithful can render their
cooperation will enhance it and make it more effective. The
ecclesiastical structure admits two such bodies - the finance
council and the parish pastoral council - to facilitate this
participation and cooperation at the parish level. If such
bodies do not exist or lack an active role, a structural reform
of the parish may become essential.
Concern for the basic rights of Christian faithful is part of the Gospel values to which the Church has to give witness. In fact the rights and obligations in the Church are meant to build up the Church. The primary duty of the Church is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the basis for the rights and the corresponding duties of all Christian faithful.
XVI made a significant assertion: “Rome must not require more from the
East with respect to the doctrine of primacy than had been formulated and
was lived in the first millennium.”1 This statement forms a foundational
pillar for our discussion. Our inquiry focuses on crucial aspects related
to primacy during the first millennium. This prompts an exploration of
historical modalities of exercising primacy across different epochs and an
investigation into the diverse perspectives held by Eastern Churches, both
those situated within and outside the confines of the Roman Empire. Precision in addressing these questions is essential.
As suggested by the title, this work embarks on a dual examination: 1)
a thorough analysis of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium, and 2) a comprehensive exploration of the ongoing ecumenical
dialogues with the Orthodox Churches. This study is organized into two
sections dedicated to these interconnected yet distinctive topics to ensure
coherence and clarity.