Others in Catholic Canon Law between Recognition and Demarcation

Abstract

While the term “others” in Catholic Canon Law may include non-Catholic Christians, for example, the author is mainly concerned with the unbaptized. Starting from their theological classification, he first outlines their legal status in general terms, and then goes into more detail on marriage law and the law of marriage processes. Following the Vatican Council II, their position improved. They are respected as legal subjects with their own legal tradition, and the concept of divine law is seen as a unifying element. Finally, the author considers the extent to which the legal regulations satisfy the principles of equal treatment and reciprocity and the goal of peaceful coexistence.

Keywords

• non-christians
• non-catholics
• unbaptized
• concept of person
• religion-diverse marriage
• equal treatment
• universalizability
• reciprocity