Chapter — 1917 Code of Canon Law
Chapter II: Of Censures in Species
Superseded as law in 1983 — read why this Code still matters. Each canon links to its 1983 counterpart.
§ 1. Censures are:
1° Excommunication.
2° Interdict.
3° Suspension.
§ 2. Excommunication can affect only physical persons, and therefore, if at any time it is borne against a moral body, it is understood to affect the individuals who concurred in the delict; interdict and suspension, also a community as a moral person; excommunication and interdict, also lay persons; suspension, clerics only; interdict, also a place; excommunication is always a censure; interdict and suspension can be either censures or vindicative penalties, but in doubt they are presumed censures.
§ 1. Censurae sunt:
1° Excommunicatio;
2° Interdictum;
3° Suspensio.
§ 2. Excommunicatio afficere potest tantum personas physicas, et ideo, si quando feratur in corpus morale, intelligitur singulos afficere qui in delictum concurrerint; interdictum et suspensio, etiam communitatem, ut personam moralem; excommunicatio et interdictum, etiam laicos; suspensio, clericos tantum; interdictum, etiam locum; excommunicatio est semper censura; interdictum et suspensio possunt esse vel censurae vel poenae vindicativae, sed in dubio praesumuntur censurae.
In the canons which follow:
1° By the name of divine offices are understood functions of the power of order, which by institution of Christ or of the Church are ordered to divine worship and can be carried out only by clerics.
2° But by the name of legitimate ecclesiastical acts are signified: to exercise the office of administrator of ecclesiastical goods; to act the parts of judge, auditor and relator, defender of the bond, promoter of justice and of faith, notary and chancellor, courier and apparitor, advocate and procurator in ecclesiastical causes; to exercise the office of sponsor in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation; to cast a vote in ecclesiastical elections; to exercise the right of patronage.
In canonibus qui sequuntur:
1° Nomine divinorum officiorum intelliguntur functiones potestatis ordinis, quae de instituto Christi vel Ecclesiae ad divinum cultum ordinantur et a solis clericis fieri queunt;
2° Nomine autem actuum legitimorum ecclesiasticorum significantur: munus administratoris gerere bonorum ecclesiasticorum; partes agere iudicis, auditoris et relatoris, defensoris vinculi, promotoris iustitiae et fidei, notarii et cancellarii, cursoris et apparitoris, advocati et procuratoris in causis ecclesiasticis; munus patrini agere in sacramentis baptismi et confirmationis; suffragium ferre in electionibus ecclesiasticis; ius patronatus exercere.
Within this chapter
- Article I: Of Excommunicationcann. 2257–2267
- Article II: Of Interdictcann. 2268–2277
- Article III: Of Suspensioncann. 2278–2285