Published: 2019-03-09

The diocesan curia as a participant of general legal transactions?

DARIUSZ WALENCIK
Prawo Kanoniczne
Section: Rozprawy i Artykuły
https://doi.org/10.21697/pk.2019.62.1.02

Abstract

This article discusses issues related to a participation of the diocesan curia in general legal transactions regulated by Polish law. On the basis of analysis of the binding legal norms supported by views of jurisprudence and the doctrine the paper answers the following question: can the diocesan curia participate in legal transactions, and if so, to what extent?

Analyses presented in the article lead to the conclusion, that the diocesan curia (in the Eastern churches - the eparchial one) is an organizational unit (an internal unit) of the diocese (in the Eastern Churches - eparchy unit) or particular Churches legally equal to a diocese and is an auxiliary apparatus to a diocesan bishop (or to legally equal individuals). The diocesan curia is not a legal entity, although both canon law and Polish law assume the possibility to grant it legal personality.

The diocesan curia is not a property owner, has no legal capacity and capacity to perform acts in law as well as capacity to be a party in court proceedings and capacity to perform actions in court proceedings (with one exception) and has no unlimited liability. The body, therefore, is neither a „statutory entity” nor a „legal entity with limited legal capacity”, although it can an employer and a workplace i.e. employment establishment in which work is performed. It is only within labour law, provided it is an employer, that it may have capacity to be a party in court proceedings and capacity to perform actions in court proceedings, which is not equal to granting the diocesan curia legal capacity.

The diocese curia as an organizational unit (internal unit) can not be a separate tax entity. However, as a supreme diocesan institution can be, with consent of the Social Security Office, a payer of security premiums for the clergy - diocesan priests working for this institution. It can not, however, be a substitute. The diocesan curia is not a body of a diocese as a legal entity. It is a body of ecclesial institutions and offices within the disposal of a diocesan bishop (a diocesan body) created to meet the needs of the faithful of a given diocese.

Keywords:

diocesan curia, legal transactions, organizational unit, canon law, Polish law

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Citation rules

WALENCIK, D. (2019). The diocesan curia as a participant of general legal transactions?. Prawo Kanoniczne, 62(1), 25–51. https://doi.org/10.21697/pk.2019.62.1.02

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