Canon 1389 provides for a penalty, including dismissal from office, for a Church official who with culpable negligence fails to perform an act of ecclesiastical governance, Church officials in the United States rarely enforced Canon 1395. Nor have any bishops in the United States been punished under Canon 1389 for a failure to enforce Canon 1395. In the light of current concerns with clerical child abuse,why is this?

-- Padraig Caughey (padraigcaughey@hotmail.com), March 07, 2004

Answers

Interesting question. Here are two related blog entries by Ed Peters:

Canonical Liability for Episcopal Negligence

The Manchester Agreement

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 07, 2004.

The links didn't work. Let me try again:

Canonical Liability for Episcopal Negligence

The Manchester Agreement

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 07, 2004.

I give up. Both links go to the top of the blog archive. You will have to scroll down to see the specific entries.

-- Mark (aujus_1066@yahoo.com), March 07, 2004.