Pope John Paul's Motu Proprio "Ad Tuendam Fidem"
VATICAN CITY, JUN 30, 1998 (VIS) - Made public this afternoon was Pope John Paul's Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio "Ad tuendam fidem," dated May 18, with which several norms are inserted into the Code of Canon Law and Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches regarding the formulation of the profession of faith.
An introduction to the Motu Proprio states that "the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on January 9, 1989, published the new formulas of the 'Professio fidei (profession of faith) et Iusiurandum fidelitatis in suscipiendo officio nomine Ecclesiae exercendo,' substituting the previous formula from 1967.
"Such formulas were approved by the Roman Pontiff with the duly prescribed Rescript. ... Considering that the new Code of Canon Law, which was promulgated on January 25, 1983, did not contain within the sphere of the authentic text in the 'Acta Apostolicae Sedis' the new formula of the profession of faith which, beyond the Nicene-Constantinople symbolism, enunciated three categories of truth, put into evidence the fact that in the Code of Canon Law, and successively, in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. the juridical, disciplinary and penal determinations were missing in the second category of truth.
"As a consequence, having justly underlined the lacuna in the universal legislation of the Church, and having awaited the compelling need to warn of and refute opinions which have arisen against this second category of truth, the Holy Father intends to promulgate the Apostolic Letter 'Ad tuendam fidem,' with which precise norms are established in the canonical legislation relative to the second category of truth, expressed in comma 2 of the conclusive Formula of the profession of faith, by a codicil integration into canons 750 and 1371, n.1 of the CIC and in canons 598 and 1436 of the CCEO."
MOTU/PROFESSION FAITH/... VIS 980630 (300)