In his article, “Ecumenism and Canon Law,” R Michael Dunnigan 0f Catholic World Report gives a perfect example of legalese trumping Catholic orthodoxy. Totally disregarded by canon lawyer Dunnigan is the final canon, the “Supreme Law,” “the salvation of souls.”:
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, recently permitted the United Methodist Church to celebrate an ordination service at the Catholic Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston. This event has set in motion a wave of criticism on orthodox Catholic blogs and websites. The criticism generally has focused on the fact that the Catholic Church does not recognize the validity of Methodist ordinations, and the fact that the presiding Methodist bishop was a woman. The prevailing critiques also charge Cardinal Di Nardo with the sin of scandal. However, the commentary to date has included little discussion of the law of the Church. More on this here.
