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Canon Law and Other Legislative Texts
About
Vision and Mission Statement for the Commission
Vision provides a guide, a blueprint giving direction to one’s efforts. The member bishops and the consulters prepared the following Vision and Mission Statement for the Canon Law Commission:
Vision
To Establish the Kingdom of God and to ensure the salvation of the souls by promoting the values of love, truth, justice, peace, harmony, communion and participation based on the laws of the Church.To bring the Canon Law to lay faithful and to promote a participatory Church mirroring the synodal thinking.
Mission
The Commission for Canon Law and Other Legislative Texts, through its comprehensive planning, formative, and executive programme, seeks to establish, strengthen, and maintain effective administrative and pastoral structures within the local Church. These structures will be guided by the spirit of Christ and the established magisterium of the Church and missionary zeal, contributing to a thriving and participatory community that reflects the Kingdom of God.
In line with the recent emphasis on synodality, the Commission endeavours to: a) Increase lay faithful's understanding and application of Canon Law; b) Empower and encourage lay faithful to fully realise their baptismal calling; c) Support their participation in the “tria munera Christi” for a more collaborative and inclusive Church, mirroring the principles of synodality; d) Promote a missionary endeavours to empower every baptismal calling for the Kingdom of God guided by the Spirit, governed by Law of the Church.
The Commission will undertake necessary measures to draft and disseminate essential and relevant documents. These documents will be tailored to address the specific needs and signs of the times. Furthermore, the Commission will strive to assist Bishops in their episcopal ministry by providing expertise on matters related to Canon Law.
Objectives
To draft and disseminate the required documents pertaining to the Bishops’ Conference to serve the Latin Church in India
To disseminate the documents from the Holy See
To promote the Ministry of Justice in ecclesiastical tribunals and other ecclesiastical offices in the Church
To empower the Laity and promote the need for accountability, co-responsibility and transparency for a Synodal Church
To strengthen the Latin Church in India by drafting and disseminating different documents tailored to the signs of time.
To strengthen the administration of Justice Within the Church.
To conduct online and offline formative programmes for different categories of Christ’s faithful.
To focus on national-level formative programmes.
To conduct the diploma courses in Canon Law.
Office Bearers
Chairman
Most Rev. Antonysamy Savarimuthu
Archbishop of Madurai
Archbishop’s House
K. Pudur, Madurai – 625 007
Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone: 0452 – 2566198
Email: abssecretarymdu@gmail.com
Executive Secretary
Rev. Dr. Merlin Rengith Ambrose
Professor of Canon Law
St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary 8th Main,
18th Cross, Malleswaram West Post
Bangalore- 560 055, Karnataka, India
Phone: +91-9884668927
Email: canonlaw@ccbi.in
Member
Most Rev. Dominic Savio Fernandes
Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay
Archbishop’s House, 21-Nathalal Parekh Marg
Mumbai – 400 001, Maharashtra, India
Phone: 9820692512
Email: bp.savio@archdiocesebombay.org
Member
Most Rev. Jose Chirackal
Auxiliary Bishop of Tura
Bishop’s House, Post Box No. 10
Tura, West Garo Hills – 794 001
Meghalaya, India
Phone: 70050 54095
Email: jchirackal@gmail.com
Former Office Bearers
Former Chairmen
1. His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Bombay: 1998 – 2006
2. Most Rev. Anthony Anandarayar, Pondicherry: 2006 – 2015
3. Most Rev. George Antonysamy, Madras-Mylapore: 2015-2019
4. Most Rev. Derek Fernandes, Karwar: 2019-2023
5. Most Rev. Antonysamy Savarimuthu, Palayamkottai : 2023-
Former Executive Secretaries
1. Msgr. Joseph Chinnayyan: 1988-2003
2. Fr. Dominic Savio Fernandes: 2003-2005
3. Fr. Peter Thumma: 2006-2010
4. Fr. Arulselvam Rayappan: 2010-2018
5. Fr. Irudaya Raj S. 2018-2022
6. Fr. Merlin Rengith Ambrose-2022-