Canonical Commission established for the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
The General Secretariat of the Synod has established the Eastern Canonical Commission, a new body entrusted with the task of formulating proposals for the revision of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) in the light of the synodal journey. The Commission met today for the first time at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Synod.
The new Commission complements the ongoing work of the Canonical Commission established in December 2023, which had already identified certain proposals for the reform of the CCEO, while focusing primarily on the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church. It also responds to repeated requests from several Heads of Churches sui iuris. Its composition, aimed also at fostering interdicasterial cooperation in service to the local Churches, includes expert Eastern canonists selected from among the consultors of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts and the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.
As cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, explains: “Taking into account the specificity of Eastern canon law, it was deemed appropriate to establish a dedicated Commission able to work in close coordination also with Study Group No. 1* on Some aspects of the relationship between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Church”.
The Commission is a “Commission for implementation” of the indications that emerged during the synodal process, in particular in the Synthesis Report (2023) and the Final Document (2024) of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
“In the synodal spirit that characterizes this implementation phase, I invite the Churches sui iuris, the Episcopal Conferences, Catholic universities, and interested institutions or persons to submit their contributions to the General Secretariat of the Synod by 15 April 2026,” Cardinal Grech concludes.
Here is the mandate and the list of members (PDF ITALIAN) of the Eastern Canonical Commission.
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The meeting follows a two-day working session of Study Group no. 1* on Some aspects of the relationship between the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Church. Photographs of the Study Group No. 1 meeting are also available below.
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* Study Group no. 1 is one of the ten Study Groups established by Pope Francis in 2024, arising from the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, during which a number of significant questions concerning the life and mission of the Church in a synodal perspective had emerged.
