Who governs the clerical status of a priest, including laicization, in canon law?

• A. The Church through canonical procedures.
• B. Civil authorities.
• C. A secular court.
• D. An international organization.

Answer: (A)

Clerical status is a juridic condition governed by the Church itself. Changes to that status, including laicization, are acts carried out through canonical procedures within canon law. The authority to regulate and alter a priest’s clerical status sits with ecclesiastical offices within the Church and follows the procedures laid out in the Code of Canon Law. Civil authorities do not determine this canonical status, though civil recognition may be relevant for secular effects. So the Church, through its canonical processes, governs the clerical status of a priest, including laicization.