Distinguish between discipline and sanction in canon law.

• A. A discipline is a penalty; a sanction is a rule.
• B. A discipline is a liturgical instruction; a sanction is a punishment.
• C. A discipline is a rule or norm; a sanction is the penalty for violating a discipline.
• D. A discipline is a ritual; a sanction is a blessing.

Answer: (C)

In canon law, a discipline is a rule or norm that governs how people must or must not act within the Church. It lays down what is required, prohibited, or permitted, shaping conduct across various domains such as liturgy, governance, or clerical life. A sanction, on the other hand, is the penalty that follows when someone violates that rule. It’s the enforce­ment mechanism that enforces compliance with the discipline and assigns a consequence for the breach.

So the correct view is that the discipline sets the standard, and the sanction is the consequence for breaking that standard. For example, a rule about how a priest should perform liturgical duties is a discipline; the punishment or penalty imposed for failing to follow that rule constitutes the sanction. The other choices mix up the relationship or limit the scope unrealistically—discipline is not merely a rule about rituals, nor is a sanction simply a blessing or a punishment that isn’t tied to a specific rule.