Canon Law Made Easy

Canon Law and Selling a Catholic Hospital

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Q: In [the city where I live], there’s a hospital … that was founded and run by Catholic religious sisters for over a century. Now however it’s owned by a huge conglomerate, and there are no Catholic sisters on the board … Continue reading →

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A New Trend: Exchanging Consent Again at the Wedding Reception

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:30:57 +0000

Q1: I work at a Catholic Parish. My pastor and I have recently been wondering how we should deal with a growing trend of couples having “mock weddings” where they exchange consent again, after celebrating their marriage with us. We … Continue reading →

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Who in the SSPX Was Just Excommunicated?

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:56:25 +0000

Q: Please help! I’m trying to reconcile conflicting reports about what Rome just did to lay Catholics who are supporters of the Society of St. Pius X [SSPX], after their episcopal consecrations on July 1. Some news sites say that … Continue reading →

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Repost: Clergy and Summer Vacation

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:11:24 +0000

Q: Our pastor seems to go on vacation constantly. This year, he already spent one week at a retreat house, left on numerous short trips to see his relatives, and now he’s going away for two weeks to Florida—and it’s … Continue reading →

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Schism, Excommunication, and Attending a Latin Mass in Brazil

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:44:39 +0000

Q: Would you address the February 2026 announcement by Archbishop Breis Pereira of Maceiò [Brazil], excommunicating anyone in the Archdiocese who attends an SSPX Mass? He said on the Archdiocese’s Facebook page that this is a schismatic act causing automatic … Continue reading →

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New Episcopal Consecrations Planned by the SSPX

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:24:01 +0000

Q: As I’m sure you know the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is planning episcopal consecrations this summer, without the required mandate from the Pope …. If I am not mistaken, this action follows exactly the same pattern that … Continue reading →

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Canon Law and Secret Marriages

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:16:45 +0000

Q1: I’m a Catholic man, engaged to be married to a Catholic woman. My fiancée subsists on government benefits, due to a physical disability and poverty. We would like to get married in the Church and not in the state, … Continue reading →

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Recent Developments: Canon Law and Closing a Parish (Part II)

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:25:45 +0000

Q: You once wrote a piece about bishops closing parishes down and the parishioners unsuccessfully protesting the closure. Has canon law changed since then? I’m asking because recently I’ve read about several parishes that bishops tried to close down, but … Continue reading →

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When Can Family Members Intervene to Prevent a Wedding?

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:36:01 +0000

Q: I have a brother that was married recently. My family had many grave concerns about our now sister-in-law, and while my brother knew of our reservations, he dismissed them rather quickly. I was left very frustrated and, after speaking … Continue reading →

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Marriage Validity and Wanting Children

Cathy Caridi — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:41:16 +0000

Q: I’ve been in online message board debates with other Catholics regarding the question of wanting children as a condition of being validly married. I contend that one must explicitly want to have children—at least one child—if you want to … Continue reading →

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