Which of the following is identified as a purpose of Canon Law?

• A. To maintain order in the Church
• B. To regulate secular government
• C. To replace theology
• D. To govern only liturgical rites

Answer: (A)

Canon Law is the legal framework that governs the internal life of the Church, providing the norms for governance, discipline, and the orderly administration of sacraments and ministry. Its main aim is to maintain order within the Church, ensuring justice, unity, and proper functioning across dioceses and communities. It lays out how bishops, priests, and laity relate to one another, how church offices are filled, how disputes are resolved, and how church property and proceedings are managed, all in service of the Church’s mission.

Regulating secular government would fall outside its scope, since Canon Law governs the Church’s own life, not the affairs of civil authorities. Replacing theology would misstate its purpose, as Canon Law supports and organizes the Church’s life rather than teaching doctrinal truth itself. Governing only liturgical rites would miss the broader range of its authority, which includes governance, discipline, discipline of offenses, canonically regulating many aspects of church society beyond liturgy.