Just three and a half months after his appointment to the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, Archbishop Anthony Randazzo is already positively influencing future canonists on a global scale. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
Last month, the Faculty of Canonical Law of St Paul University in Ottawa visited Rome as part of a study tour. Included in the cohort were seven Australians who are currently undertaking studies in canon law through a partnership between St Paul University and the Broken Bay Institute.
The study tour offered those students and staff an opportunity to visit the various Dicasteries of the Roman Curia and to engage directly with their prefects and officials, including the former bishop of Broken Bay.
For Fr Baiju Thomas, a priest of the Missionaries of God’s Love serving at Our Lady of Fatima Peakhurst in the Syndey Archdiocese, the trip was a unique opportunity to see how the universal church functions and how canon law is applied in practice at the highest level.
“The experience was deeply enriching, both academically and spiritually,” Fr Thomas, who is pursuing a licentiate in canon law, said.
“Visiting the dicasteries brought our classroom studies to life and gave us a greater appreciation for the service they provide to the universal Church.
“It was also a privilege to spend time with Archbishop Anthony Randazzo, whose warmth, pastoral wisdom, and encouragement made the experience even more memorable.
“His insights into the life of the church and his support for those studying canon law were greatly appreciated.”
During the meeting, the archbishop told the group that the “law isn’t static but alive” and encouraged them to always see the person behind every canon and procedure.
Archbishop Randazzo reinforced the idea that canon law was much more than a set of rules, but the “Church’s practical wisdom that safeguards the rights of the faithful, promotes justice, and supports the Church’s mission of salvation.”
As many canonists are now of retirement age, the archbishop said it was important for the laity, men and women, to consider studying canon law. Canon law is an essential part of the Church’s life because it provides the structure that enables the Church to carry out her mission faithfully and effectively, he said.
Fr Baiju said: “It protects the dignity and rights of every member of the faithful while ensuring that justice and charity work together.”
FULL STORY
Archbishop Randazzo brings canon law to life for Aussie students in Rome (By Mathew De Sousa, The Catholic Weekly)
