Canon law: church, judicial & interpretive canons

Canon law is the internal law of a church. In the Catholic Church, it governs the hierarchy, the sacraments, church property and church courts. Similarly, other churches, such as the Church of England and the Episcopal Church, keep their own canons.

The word canon also has a second meaning in law. Judges follow judicial canons, written codes of conduct, and courts use canons of construction to read statutes. This section covers those canons too.

Church law also shaped the Western legal tradition. For centuries, church courts in England decided marriage cases and proved wills, and ideas such as good faith and equity owe much to church lawyers. Today, however, these rules have no force as civil law in the United States.

Our guides start with what this body of law is and where it comes from. Next come its history and the structure of the 1983 Code. Then come church tribunals, annulments and the Supreme Court cases on church autonomy.

Each guide quotes the Code, the Vatican text or the court decision it relies on. Above all, this section is for education and is not religious or legal advice.

Each guide quotes its source. For instance, the guide to the 1983 Code quotes canons from the official Vatican text, and the guide on American courts quotes the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition, the glossary defines terms such as ecclesiastical, annulment and tribunal.

Finally, this section describes church rules and court decisions without taking sides on questions of faith. Readers of every belief are welcome here.