An ecclesiastical office is defined as what?

• A. A temporary lay position
• B. A stable position established by the Church for a spiritual purpose and exercised according to canon law
• C. A parish volunteer role
• D. A monastic vow

Answer: (B)

In canon law, an ecclesiastical office is a stable, formally established position within the Church created to carry out a specific spiritual function, and it is exercised in accordance with canon law. This means it isn’t a temporary task or a voluntary role; it’s a juridical status with defined duties and rights, held for a real governance or pastoral purpose and regulated by church norms.

The other descriptions don’t fit because they describe roles or commitments that lack that formal, enduring juridical status: a temporary lay position is not canonically established; a parish volunteer role isn’t an official office with juridical framework; a monastic vow concerns religious life, not an office created by canon law for ongoing service.