Novel Canon Law Diploma Course To Empower Lay People Draws Huge Response

Bengaluru: In a very first initiative to empower lay people on Canon Law, the Commission for Canon Law under the aegis of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) conducted a one-year annual diploma course in Canon Law from December 2022 to December 2023. This was aimed at empowering the lay people for their communion, participation and mission in the life of the Church to strengthen the synodal way.

The culmination of this impactful annual diploma programme saw the Convocation ceremony, held on Saturday, 3 February 2024 in Bengaluru, where participants were formally recognised for their dedication and achievements. All the participants were awarded Diplomas in Canon Law.

His Eminence, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, handed over a certificate to a participant. Also seen are Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu (extreme right) and Rev. Dr. Merlin Rengith Ambrose (left).

His Eminence Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, the President of CBCI, awarded the certificates to the participants and emphasised the importance of Canon Law and its relevance for the lay people’s participation, mission, and co-responsibility in the life of the Church.

The Chairman of the Commission, Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu, delivering a talk.

The Chairman of the Commission, Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu, presided over the entire programme.

Rev. Dr. Merlin Rengith Ambrose

Rev. Dr. Merlin Rengith Ambrose, the Executive Secretary of the Commission for Canon Law in CCBI and the Professor of Canon Law at St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bangalore, meticulously organised the Annual Diploma Course in Canon Law for one full year and the final grand Convocation Ceremony that embraced 437 participants from 23 countries. The CCBI appreciated the Commission for Canon Law for their noble and first-ever new initiative in Canon Law for the blooming of the Synodal Church.

On the day of convocation, two formative sessions were conducted. Rev. Dr. John Mendonca DCL spoke of laypeople being co-responsible in the activities of the Church in order to create a Synodal Church and emphasised the need for their proper formation for their synodal participation. Most Rev. Alex Vadakumthala, Bishop of Kannur and a Canon Lawyer, mentioned the importance of the participatory structures, such as the Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Council, Diocesan Pastoral and Finance Council, Diocesan Synods, Diocesan Pastoral Council and other Commissions wherein the lay people could commit themselves to render their mission and participation in order to blossom the synodal church in India.

Offering his heartfelt congratulations, His Eminence Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrao eloquently reaffirmed the crucial need for such initiatives, underscoring how equipping laypeople with knowledge of Canon Law empowers them to contribute meaningfully to the Church and its participatory structures. The Convocation ceremony was further graced by the presence of Most Rev. Antony Savarimuthu (chairman Bishop of the Commission for Canon Law in CCBI) who delivered a compelling address stressing the paramount importance of lay involvement within the church and significance of Canon Law as an instrument of faith.

In conclusion, the annual online Diploma Course in Canon Law for laypeople stands as a resounding success, leaving a lasting legacy of canonically empowered individuals and a revitalised spirit of synodal collaboration within the Catholic Church. Through the dedicated efforts of its organisers, esteemed faculty, and eager participants, this program has paved the way for a brighter future where laypeople, equipped with knowledge and a newfound sense of agency, actively contribute to the Church’s mission and its ongoing synodal journey.

Drawing inspiration from what Pope Francis considers the connection between canon law and the synodality of the Church, it is important to exercise that by way of their communion, participation, and mission in dioceses and parishes through juridical duties.

Many signs indicate that the Spirit is empowering them for an even greater role in the coming millennium. One crucial area where lay persons are to cooperate with the sense of synodal co-responsibility is in the life of the church.

This is done either by giving them ministries or by including them in the consultation and decision-making process in committees and councils, paving the way for the Synodal Church. Therefore, to create awareness among the laity about their particular vocation and mission based on communion, mission, and participation, formation programmes exclusively for the laity need to be conducted. Summary Report of the First Session of the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 4-29, 2023), in its introduction, emphasises this need to deepen canonical knowledge.

Therefore, under the esteemed auspices of the Commission for Canon Law within the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), a comprehensive Annual online Diploma Course in Canon Law for laypeople was held from 10 December 2022 to 10 January 2024.

The course was diligently and meticulously organised and conducted by Rev. Dr. Merlin Rengith Ambrose DCL, both Executive Secretary of the Commission for Canon Law in CCBI and Professor of Canon Law at St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bangalore, under the very able guidance of Most Rev. Antonysamy Savarimuthu, the Chairman of the Commission.

The course format consisted of sessions held on every second and fourth Saturday of the month. This inaugural session was graced by the esteemed presence of His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, whose opening address on 10 December 2022 eloquently emphasised the crucial role of Canon Law education in empowering laypeople to embrace a more active role within the Church’s ongoing synodal process.

Most Rev. Arulselvam Rayappan, in the inaugural session, underscored the necessity for lay persons to acquire a profound understanding of canon law and further emphasised the instrumental role it plays in fulfilling parochial and diocesan responsibilities, guiding lives following the Church’s magisterium.

This inaugural event of the Annual Diploma Course in “Canon Law for a Synodal Church” for the lay people set the stage for a programme teeming with eager participants—a total of 437 lay people hailing from 23 countries across the globe embarked on this enriching journey. The classes were held every second and fourth Saturday with their vibrant participation.

The curriculum delved into the core aspects of laypeople’s canonical rights and obligations, providing valuable insights into their communion, mission, and participation within the Church in order to realise a Synodal Church, as envisaged by Pope Francis.

An overarching theme, echoing the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, underscored the crucial importance of fostering communion within the Church and its anchoring in relevant juridical foundations. Notably, the programme equipped laypeople with a comprehensive understanding of Canon Law, thus empowering them to actively engage within the participatory structures of dioceses, parishes, and other ecclesial institutions. This annual online Diploma course stands as a powerful tool in fostering the development of synodal thinking among laypeople.

The  teaching faculty for this course comprised Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and renowned Professors of Canon Law from India and abroad, lending their invaluable expertise to each session. This esteemed pool of instructors resulted in highly acclaimed sessions that proved immensely fruitful for the participants.