Toward a Synodal Church: the 2023 Synod of Bishops

Canadian Canon Law Society 55th Annual Convention October 25-28, 2021

The 2021 Frank Morrisey Memorial Address Toward a Synodal Church: The 2023 Synod of Bishops

In honour of Fr. Frank Morrisey, one of our founding members, we are introducing the Frank Morrisey Memorial Address. This free presentation on canonical matters will begin our Annual Conventions each year. This year we are happy to announce that Cardinal Mario Grech and Sister Nathalie Becquart will present the address this year. $50 for the whole convention (students free) The 2021 Frank Morrisey Memorial Address is free for everyone

Virtual AGA Wednesday October 27, 2021 2:30pm EST Programme (Eastern Time)

Monday

10:00am Toward a Synodal Church: The 2023 Synod of Bishops Cardinal Mario Grech and Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ

2:30pm Clericalism and the Sexual Abuse of Minors: A Challenge for Pope Francis Stéphane Joulain, M. Afr.

2:30pm Associations de fidèles laïcs et réponse aux allégations d’abus sexuel Roch Pagé

Tuesday

10:30am Recourse to the Apostolic Penitentiary: How and When? Carlos Encina Commentz

10:30am Les droits fondamentaux du canon 213 CIC (c. 16 CCEO) à l'épreuve de la Covid Dominique Le Tourneau

2:30pm Le cléricalisme et l’abus sexuel des mineurs : un défi pour le Pape François Stéphane Joulain, M. Afr

2:30pm Associations of the Lay Faithful and Response to Sexual Abuse Allegations Roch Pagé

Wednesday

10:30am Revised Book VI of the CIC/83: major changes and unaddressed issues Valère Nkouaya Mbandji, s.j.

10:30am La version révisée du Livre VI du CIC/83: changements majeurs et questions non résolues Valère Nkouaya Mbandji, s.j.

2:30pm AGA

Thursday

10:30am En Route to Synodality through a Change of Mentality: Reform through Canon Law Myriam Wijlens

2:30pm Les relations Église-État dans le contexte de la pandémie Emmanuel Tawil Presenters Cardinal Grech was born in Qala, Malta. He was ordained a priest in 1984, ordained bishop in 2006, and then created Cardinal in 2020. He studied at the Gozo Lyceum before pursuing studies in philosophy and theology at the Sacred Heart Seminary, Goza. After this, he received a licentiate in canon and civil law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas with his thesis "The harmonization of the religious and civil dimensions of canonical marriages in Malta" in 1998. He is the author of numerous works in theology and canon law. On October 2nd, 2019, Pope Francis appointed him the Pro-Secretary General for the Synod of Bishops and he became the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops in September 2020.

Born in 1969 in Fontainebleau, France, Sr. Becquart holds a Master in Management (HEC school of management), as well as degrees in philosophy (BPh) and theology (STB) from the Centre Sèvres-Jesuit Faculties of Paris. She is a Scholar in Theology (STL) at the Institut catholique de Paris/Centre Sèvres-Jesuits Faculties of Parish (since September 2019) and at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (since January 2020) with specialization in ecclesiology with a research on synodality. She has author many articles and books on theology and ministry, including popular and academic works. Sr. Becquart has also presented at numerous conferences, sessions, and courses in dioceses, communities, Catholic universities, bishops' conferences, national and international organizations, as well as European meetings (CCEE) and Dicasteries on the topics of: young people, youth ministry, vocations, religious life, church and mission, synod and synodality, discernment, Ignatian spirituality, interculturality, communication, leadership, and project management. She was appointed "Consultor to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops" by Pope Francis in May 2019.

Stéphane Joulain is a priest of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) and a psychotherapist. He was trained in France and England in philosophy, theology, missiology and anthropology. After several years in Jerusalem, where he met victims of sexual assault, he decided to fight against this evil. He trained at the Centre des Buttes- Chaumont in Paris in systemic network therapies for victims of sexual assault. He completed a canonical licentiate in practical theology at the Institut catholique de Paris. He holds a Ph.D. in counselling and spirituality from Saint Paul University and the University of Ottawa (Canada). For the past twenty years, he has accompanied many victims of sexual assault, as well as the perpetrators. He worked for several years at the Centre d’intervention en abus sexuels pour la famille (CIASF) in Gatineau, Quebec, where he treated many pedophiles. Since 2015, he has been working as a consultant for religious congregations on sexual abuse prevention issues. He provides training in many countries. Since 2020, he has been an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Canon Law at Saint Paul University. He is the author of several articles and chapters in several books, he is the author of a book entitled: Combattre l’abus sexuel des enfants, published in 2018 by DDB (also translated in Italian). He is also the chief-editor of a collective work: l'Église déchirée (to be published by Bayard in September 2021).

Born in Chicoutimi, Québec, Msgr. Roch Pagé was ordained a priest for the diocese of Chicoutimi on June 13, 1964. Bachelor degree in theology from Laval University, Québec City; licence in canon law from the Gregorian University, Rome; doctorate in canon law from Saint Paul University, Ottawa and Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa. Full Professor, former Dean of the Faculty of Canon Law, and Professor emeritus of the Faculty of Canon Law, Saint Paul University. Guest Professor since 1993 at The Catholic University of America, Washington. Adjunct-Judicial Vicar at the Canadian Appeal Tribunal and canonical advisor for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Author of numerous articles in scientific journals and monographs especially on particular Churches, the permanent diaconate and associations of the faithful.

Born in Santiago, Chile in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1995, Msgr. Commentz served as a Confessor at two shrines in the diocese of Augsburg, Germany. Since 2003 he has been the personal secretary of Cardinal Jorge Medina Estévez. He received his degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross with a thesis on the purpose of the canonical penalty. Since 2006 he has served as an official at the Apostolic Penitentiary. In 2010 he was appointed Chaplain of His Holiness and since 2014 he has been the Coadjutor of the Chapter of the Vatican Basilica and Confessor in the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, Rome. He is the author of several articles published in magazines and of the booklet: "When and how to resort to the Apostolic Penitentiary," published in various languages and countries of the world. He has lectured in courses for priests and at Canon Law conferences in Germany, Nicaragua, Brazil, Chile, Poland, Italy, and the United States of America. He speaks Spanish, German, English, and Italian.

Msgr. Dominique Le Tourneau was born in Paris in 1942 and was incardinated in the Prelature of Opus Dei on August 4, 1974. He received his doctorate in Canon Law from the University of Navarre, where he has been serving as a visiting professor since 1986. He also teaches canon law in Lyon: the fundamental rights and obligations of the faithful and the laity in the Church, the juridic dimension of the sacred, and the temporal goods of the Church. He also serves as a judge at the ecclesiastical tribunal of Lille. He has translated numerous Spanish and Italian works on canon law and has collaborated on other works in canon law, spirituality, and history. He also regularly writes for canon law journals, publishing nearly 200 articles in journals, dictionaries, and encyclopedias as well as more than 450 book reviews.

Valère Nkouaya Mbandji, s.j. is a Jesuit priest and professor of canon law at Saint Paul University, Ottawa. He received his licence in civil law from the University of Yaoundé II, a Master of canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and a doctorate (Ph.D.) of canon law from Saint Paul University, Ottawa. He was a visiting professor at the Institute of Theology of the Company of Jesus in Abidjan and the Coordinator of Master and Licentiate cycles at the Centre de Recherche et d’Action pour la Paix (Côte d’Ivoire). Besides his teaching and administrative assignments, he worked as a volunteer in prisons; bringing legal aide to prisoners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Côte d’Ivoire. His current field of research is the protection of minors and vulnerable persons in canonical legislation, with a particular interest in the interaction between canonical penal law and different “secular” penal legislation. He is the author of La prescription canonique des délits sexuels sur des personnes mineures (Paris, 2018) in which he raises the question of the advisability of canonical prescription in cases of the sexual abuse of minors perpetrated by priests and men and women religious.

Professor Myriam Wijlens, born in The Netherlands, holds a licentiate in Catholic Theology (Catholic University of Nijmegen -The Netherlands), a JCD and PhD in canon law (Saint Paul University/ University of Ottawa – Canada) and completed a Habilitation (2nd doctorate) with the venia legendi for canon law (University of Münster – Germany). Professor Wijlens has been a full professor for Canon Law at the University of Erfurt (Germany) since 2005. From 2008 till 2011 she served as vice president of her University. Prof. Wijlens holds expertise in ecclesiological –ecumenical issues with particular attention for the canonical dimension. She is the Co- Moderator of the internationally renowned research group “Peter and Paul Seminar” which focuses on reform of ecclesial institutions in an ecumenical perspective. On June 5, 2021 Pope Francis appointed her as a consultor to the Synod of Bishops and therefore she currently assists in preparing the Synod on Synodality. The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity (PCPCU-Vatican) appointed her as its delegate to the Standing Commission of Faith and Order at the World Council of Churches (Geneva). She has served as the Co-Moderator of its Working Group “Moral Discernment in the Churches” from 2015 onwards. From 2012 - 2017 the PCPCU mandated her to serve on its official Consultation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe. In 2019 the PCPCU appointed her as advisor to the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III). The University of Durham (UK) appointed her as honorary professor for Ecumenism and Canon Law from 2012-2021. Another area of her expertise concerns the abuse of minors. She conducted the canonical penal preliminary investigation in approx. 100 cases and acted in civil courts in different countries as expert on negligence by ecclesial leaders in handling abuse cases. Pope Francis appointed her as a member to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in 2018-2022. She is the Moderator of its working Group “Safeguarding Guidelines and Norms” for which she co-organized the seminar “Promoting and Protecting the Dignity of Persons in Allegations of Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults: Balancing Confidentiality, Transparency and Accountability in 2019.

Emmanuel Tawil is a lawyer and lecturer at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas. He specializes in public law with a particular focus on religious law, canon law, and international relations. He has published numerous books and articles on these subjects. He is a member of the Commission consultative des cultes in the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and he has been a corresponding member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences (Vatican) since 2014.