India’s 23^rd annual Canon Law conference

(October 27, 2009) Seventy-five canon law experts of India spent four days together in Ranchi, Jharkhand state, last week discussing the sacraments. The 23rd Annual Canon Law Conference organized by the Canon Law Society of India was held at the Social Development Centre, Ranchi from October 21-25. Seventy-Five canonists participated in the conference which was on the Sacraments in general. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay invited all the participants to have a pastoral approach while applying Church Law. He said that we must always remember that the Church is like a mother who is kind, compassionate and forgiving; and that Salvation of Souls is the supreme law of the Church. Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi The Conference who inaugurated the conference urged the used of Church law to help people in difficult situations. In all, ten papers were presented by eminent Canon lawyers from the Latin, the Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara rite Churches. The papers touched on the canonical aspects of the different Sacraments and the comparative study between the codes of Canon Law of the Latin and Oriental rites. Fr Alex Vadakumtala of Verapoly Archdiocese has been elected the president of the Canon Law Society of India for the 2009-2011 term. He replaces Fr C. Joseph of Trivandrum Archdiocese.