canon law

American  

noun

1. the body of codified ecclesiastical law, especially of the Roman Catholic Church as promulgated in ecclesiastical councils and by the pope.

---

canon law British  

noun

1. the law governing the affairs of a Christian Church, esp the law created or recognized by papal authority in the Roman Catholic Church See Corpus Juris Canonici Codex Juris Canonici

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• canon lawyer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of canon law

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

Francis remains in charge of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion-strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in the hospital, according to canon law.

From Washington Times • Jun. 7, 2023

Defrocking - the process of being reduced to a 'lay state' in which clerical status is taken away from a priest - is among the harshest sanctions available in the Catholic church's canon law.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2022

To explain his stepping down, a Vatican statement at the time referred to a canon law that allowed bishops under 75 to retire for health reasons or other “grave” reasons, but did not elaborate.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2022

Parishioners at this Seattle church and two others have enlisted canon law experts to appeal the closures.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 24, 2022

The Catholic Church has survived for centuries, not by passing on a ‘celibacy gene’ from one pope to the next, but by passing on the stories of the New Testament and of Catholic canon law.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari