Foundations of canonical substantive criminal law. An outline based on part I of book VI of the code of canon law of Pope Francis

Fr. Piotr Skonieczny OP’s chapter offers a concise introduction to canonical substantive criminal law in the wake of the reform of book VI of the code of canon law carried out by the apostolic constitution „Pascite gregem Dei” on 23 May 2021. Rather than providing a full lecture or commentary on all canons of CIC of 2021.The author does not undertake a discussion of all the canons of the amended book; his aim is rather to point out the most important assumptions and principles that constitute the essence of key institutions. He thus foregoes the detailed part in favor of a coherent general vision, which is intended to facilitate further individual study. Written also with civil lawyers in mind, the text includes comparative‑law remarks and relies on a deliberately selective bibliography, predominantly in Polish and produced under the renewed Code. The fundamental elements of canonical criminal law are presented in a classical order: the doctrine of the sources of criminal law, the doctrine of the canonical offence, and the doctrine of canonical penalties – in general and in particular – thereby clarifying the structure and logic of the Church’s updated system of penal responsibility.