What is prescription in canon law?

• A. A way to extend civil time limits.
• B. Time-based rules that affect rights or obligations, including the filing of cases or the exercise of certain acts.
• C. A ritual act in liturgy.
• D. The permanent prohibition on certain offices.

Answer: (B)

Prescription in canon law means time-based limits that determine whether a right may be claimed or a duty may be performed. It sets deadlines for bringing a case before ecclesiastical tribunals and for exercising certain acts. If action isn’t taken within the prescribed period, the right can be extinguished or the claim barred, unless the period is interrupted or tolled by appropriate circumstances. This concept ensures predictability and orderly progression of church matters. It isn’t about a ritual act, nor a permanent prohibition on offices, and while it echoes the idea of time limits in civil law, canon law gives prescription its own specific rules and effects.