EASTERN CANONICAL LEGISLATION AND SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

Abstract

Sixty years after the convocation of the Second Vatican Council, its impact on the Church remains profound, marking the beginning of a new era in Catholicism. The life of the Church has evolved through pre-conciliar, conciliar, and post-conciliar phases, embodying both unity and diversity across local communities, religious congregations, and Churches sui iuris. The Second Vatican Council facilitated a renewal in understanding the Church’s tradition, the Word of God, and the Magisterium's interpretation. A significant breakthrough occurred in the context of Eastern Churches, where the shift from a single Code to distinct codes for each Church sui iuris reflects a deeper development in doctrine and discipline. The concept of communion ecclesiology, modeled on Trinitarian communion, encapsulates the Church’s mystery as both one and many. Tertullian's vision of the Church, as the body of the Trinity, underscores the Church’s presence where the divine persons are found, highlighting the Church's intimate relationship with the Trinity.