The concept and purpose of a penalty in the Church an outline of legal history
Krzysztof Mikołajczuk
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9624-6934
Abstract
The Church has its own inherent right to punish its faithful, a right which is independent of any uman authority. However, those who hold this right must remember that first and foremost, they are hepherds of their flock, and not the judges inflicting penalties. Hence, penal sanctions should be a last resort to be used only when other measures are not effective, as the Code of 1917 points out. A penalty can be defined as a response to some behavior that violates the rules or prohibitions in force. By its nature, it should involve material or spiritual hardship. It should inflict suffering on the offender or deprive the offender of some good, such as life, freedom, property, certain spiritual benefits, or privileges enjoyed in a social group. Moreover, a penalty should be imposed only by the appropriate legitimate authority (e.g. church authorities). A penalty can only be inflicted for a committed offence, because in its nature it is a retaliation carried out by society against the offender for violating the legal order. If there has been no offence, there is no legal right to inflict a penalty. However, apart from determining what a penalty is, it is also necessary to examine its purpose. This part of the philosophy of punishment can provide an answer to the question why there are penal sanctions and how they are justified. It should be emphasized that the purpose of a penalty justifies its use and undoubtedly, entitles the Church or the state to impose it. As the history of canon law shows, penalties applied by the Church have served different purposes. Referring to St. Augustine's teaching, the Decretum Gratiani emphasised that penalties were justified only in so far as they contributed to the betterment of the offender and other people. Therefore, it seems useful to examine historical and legal issues connected with the subject of this article.
Keywords:
penalties in the Church, concept and purpose of a penalty in the Church, ecclesiastical penal lawReferences
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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9624-6934
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