Introduction to Canon Law

First: The Definition of the Church

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the Church is a community of believing saints. Not everyone who belongs to the Church in a formal sense is a true member. True membership is based on genuine faith and lived holiness, not on name or official affiliation.

Second: Rejecting Formalism in Faith and Baptism

He warns against the danger of formalism in joining the Church, whether through baptism or nominal membership. In the early Church, great care was taken to verify a person’s faith and conduct before baptism. The Church sought quality, not quantity.

Third: The Catechumenate in the Early Church

The catechumens were:

• Taught the Creed.

• Trained in spiritual life through prayer and fasting.

• Examined in faith and behavior.
  Baptism was granted only after a clear public confession of faith and spiritual readiness.

Fourth: Conditions for Adult Baptism

Baptism was given only to a true believer, not to someone seeking personal benefit or marriage. The Church refused to baptize those involved in magic, divination, idolatry, or unlawful marriages, because faith must unite doctrine and conduct.

Fifth: Children and Baptism

Children are baptized on the faith of their parents, provided that the parents are believers capable of raising them in the fear of God. This highlights the true spiritual role of the godparent, not a merely ceremonial one.

Sixth: The Spirit of the Law

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III stresses that canon law must be understood according to its spirit rather than its letter, since many canons were issued to confront specific circumstances or heresies. Canon law exists to serve spiritual life, not to restrict it.

Seventh: Marriage as a Spiritual Sacrament

He connects canon law to the sacrament of marriage, explaining that marriage is not merely emotional or physical compatibility, but a spiritual union between two people living with God. Therefore, repentance and spiritual preparation are required, and civil or customary marriages are rejected.

Conclusion

Canon law, in its essence, expresses the holiness and spirit of the Church. Its purpose is to form a believing and holy person who lives the sacraments with depth, not formalism. Any separation between canon law and spiritual life turns the Church into a merely formal institution and empties faith of its saving power.

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