Catholic Church

===Canon law===
{{Main|Canon law of the Catholic Church}}
{{See also|Catholic Church#Liturgy}}
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Catholic canon law ({{Lang-la|jus canonicum}})<ref>Black's Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, pg. 771: "Jus canonicum"</ref> is the [[legal system|system]] of laws and [[canon law|legal principles]] made and enforced by the [[Hierarchy of the Catholic Church|hierarchical authorities]] of the Catholic Church to regulate its external organization and government and to order and direct the activities of Catholics toward the mission of the church.{{sfn|Della Rocca|1959|p=3}} The canon law of the Latin Church was the first modern Western [[legal system]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Berman |first1=Harold J. |author1-link=Harold J. Berman |title=Law and Revolution: The Formation of the Western Legal Tradition |year=1983 |pages=86, 115 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674517769}}</ref> and is the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the West,<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Edward N. |last1=Peters |author1-link=Edward N. Peters |url=http://canonlaw.info/ |title=CanonLaw.info Home Page |access-date=11 June 2013 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928005444/http://www.canonlaw.info/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |first1=Raymond |last1=Wacks |author1-link=Raymond Wacks |title=Law: A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Ed. |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2015 |page=13 |isbn=978-0198745624}}</ref> while the distinctive traditions of [[Eastern Catholic canon law]] govern the 23 Eastern Catholic [[particular church]]es ''[[sui iuris]]''.

Positive ecclesiastical laws, based directly or indirectly upon immutable divine law or [[natural law]], derive formal authority in the case of universal laws from [[Promulgation (Catholic canon law)|promulgation]] by the supreme legislator—the [[Supreme Pontiff]]—who possesses the totality of legislative, executive and judicial power in his person,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM|title=Canon 331 – 1983 Code of Canon Law|website=Vatican.va|publisher=[[Secretariat for Communication|Segreteria per la Comunicazione]]|access-date=15 March 2020|archive-date=2 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070402021624/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref> while particular laws derive formal authority from promulgation by a legislator inferior to the supreme legislator, whether an ordinary or a delegated legislator. The actual subject material of the canons is not just doctrinal or moral in nature, but all-encompassing of the human condition. It has all the ordinary elements of a mature legal system:<ref name=clinfocat/> laws, [[Ecclesiastical court|courts]], lawyers, judges,<ref name="clinfocat">{{Cite web |first1=Edward N. |last1=Peters |author1-link=Edward N. Peters |url=http://www.canonlaw.info/a_catechistintro.htm |title=A Catechist's Introduction to Canon Law |website=CanonLaw.info |access-date=11 June 2013 |archive-date=2 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802095547/http://www.canonlaw.info/a_catechistintro.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> a fully articulated [[1983 Code of Canon Law|legal code]] for the Latin Church{{sfn|Della Rocca|1959|p=49}} as well as a [[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches|code]] for the Eastern Catholic Churches,{{sfn|Della Rocca|1959|p=49}} principles of [[Interpretation (Catholic canon law)|legal interpretation]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P2.HTM|title=Code of Canon Law: text – IntraText CT|website=intratext.com|access-date=18 June 2014|archive-date=11 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211125942/http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P2.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref> and coercive penalties.<ref>{{cite periodical |url=https://stjosephcanonlaw.com/sites/default/files/newsletter-preview-pdfs/christifidelis30.7.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714200828/https://stjosephcanonlaw.com/sites/default/files/newsletter-preview-pdfs/christifidelis30.7.pdf |archive-date=14 July 2014 |title=Canonical Basics |periodical=Christifidelis |publisher=St. Joseph Foundation |date=25 December 2012 |volume=30|issue=7|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/08/conscience-and-coercion|title=Conscience and Coercion|journal=[[First Things]]|access-date=24 March 2015|quote=The 1983 Code of Canon Law still teaches that the Church has a coercive authority over the baptized, with the authority to direct and to punish, by temporal as well as spiritual penalties, for culpable apostasy or heresy.|first1=Thomas|last1=Pink|date=1 August 2012|publisher=The Institute on Religion and Public Life|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402085937/http://www.firstthings.com/article/2012/08/conscience-and-coercion|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Canon law of the Catholic Church|Canon law]] concerns the Catholic Church's life and organization and is distinct from civil law. In its own field it gives force to civil law only by specific enactment in matters such as the guardianship of minors.<ref>{{cite book|first1=John P.|last1=Beal|year=2000|title=New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JKgZEjvB5cEC&pg=PA85|publisher=[[Paulist Press]]|isbn=978-0-8091-4066-4|page=85|access-date=31 March 2021|archive-date=10 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310112254/https://books.google.com/books?id=JKgZEjvB5cEC&pg=PA85#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, civil law may give force in its field to canon law, but only by specific enactment, as with regard to canonical marriages.<ref name="Malta">{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19930203_s-sede-malta_en.html|date=3 February 1993|access-date=6 August 2014|title=Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Malta on the recognition of civil effects to canonical marriages and to the decisions of the ecclesiastical authorities and tribunals about the same marriages|website=Vatican.va|publisher=[[Secretariat of State (Holy See)|Secretariat of State]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216060609/https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19930203_s-sede-malta_en.html|archive-date=16 February 2014}}</ref> Currently, the [[1983 Code of Canon Law]] is in effect for the Latin Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1.HTM|title=Code of Canon Law: Book I General Norms (1–6)|publisher=Intratext Library|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-date=29 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429083022/http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref> The distinct 1990 ''[[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches]]'' (''CCEO'', after the Latin initials) applies to the autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jgray.org/codes/cceo90eng.html|title=1990 Code of Canons of Oriental churches|website=jgray.org|publisher=Jason Gray|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-date=12 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312160522/http://www.jgray.org/codes/cceo90eng.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>