In his first wide-ranging interview since taking up the role of Prefect of the Dicastery of Legislative Texts at the Vatican, Archbishop Anthony Randazzo
has said the correct application of Canon Law is itself a profoundly pastoral act.
Speaking to the Journal Vox Canonica in Rome, Archbishop Randazzo said if the law is applied in a manner than is not pastoral, then it risks becoming unfaithful both to the mission of the Church and to the mind of the legislator.
“Canon law exists not as an end in itself, but as a servant of the Church’s communion, her mission, and the proclamation of the Gospel,” he said.
“Fidelity to the Bride of Christ, love for her life and mission, reverence for the truth of the Gospel, concern for justice, and care for the dignity of every person: these lie at the very heart of the Church’s canonical tradition.
“When law is understood in this way, it does not stand in tension with pastoral ministry; it becomes one of the privileged instruments through which the Good Shepherd continues to care for his flock.”
The former Bishop of Broken Bay was appointed by Pope Leo XIV to his new role at the Vatican in March this year, The Dicastery for Legislative Texts is responsible for the promoting and safeguarding the proper understanding, interpretation, and application of canon law in both the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Archbishop Randazzo, as Prefect, will oversee the preparation of authentic interpretations, supervise the review of legislative texts and decrees, ensure collaboration with other curial institutions and canonists, and safeguard the juridical integrity and coherence of the Church’s universal legal order.
“It is my intention to remain calm, to listen attentively to the needs of the Church as she dialogues with the world, and to encourage all the faithful to remain steadfast in Christ, faithful to the profession of our faith, and united in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.”
Archbishop Randazzo also spoke warmly of his role as Bishop of Broken Bay where he served for six and a half years before being called to Rome.
“The Diocese of Broken Bay has been the great love of my episcopal ministry,” he said.
“She was the Bride entrusted to my pastoral care, the local Church whom I was ordained and anointed to serve, to lead, and to love.
“In this sacred ministry, one can never be merely an administrator. One must first and foremost by a husband, a father, a priest, a teacher, and a shepherd of souls.
“Being the Bishop of a Diocese is not about status, titles or prestige. It is the privilege of walking with the People of God as fellow pilgrims in faith, hope, and charity. It is precisely this experience of pastoral life and episcopal ministry that I bring with me to the Dicastery for Legislative Texts.”
The full interview with Archbishop Anthony Randazzo can be found
here, reprinted with kind permission of Vox Canonica.
