Canon Law and Spiritual Vulnerability -
A Scholastic Perspective
Author: Stephan Hecht
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1311-3616
DOI: 10.61840/fundcan.24.2
Date of Publication: 27/01/2024
Citation: Hecht, Stephan: Canon Law and Spiritual Vulnerability -
A Scholastic Perspective, in: Fundamdenta Canonica. A Journal for the History and Theology of Canon Law (= FundCan), DOI: 10.61840/fundcan.24.2
Keywords: Thomas Aquinas, Francisco Suárez, spiritual abuse, Canon Law
Abstract
Spiritual abuse is probably one of the most subtle forms of abusive behavior in ecclesiastical and pastoral environments, posing challenges for both Canon Law and Systematic Theology. So far, there are several definitions of spiritual abuse that can mostly be found in Protestant scholarship. Yet, there is hardly any research that tries to understand spiritual abuse from a systematic-historic perspective. Starting from a definition by Wagner identifying spiritual abuse as the abuse of someone’s “spiritual autonomy,” this article attempts to shed a Thomistic-Suárezian perspective on this topic, showing not only how this definition is backed by Scholastic conceptual thinking but also how the protection of an independent spiritual realm of human existence presupposes the right understanding of law and function of Canon Law in order to fully grasp this form of abusive behavior on a juridical level. After elaborating on these fundamental issues, the article finally introduces crucial normative aspects in the current Code of Canon Law that protect the fundamental “spiritual autonomy.” Tackling spiritual abuse as essentially an abuse of power (c.1378) thus requires an awareness and sensibility towards spirituality as an indispensable dimension of human life that must be distinguished, but cannot be separated from the psycho-physical dimension of human existence.