Code of Canon Law Annotated, 5th edition - Hardcover

The Code of Canon Law Annotated, Fifth Edition, (informally called the “Red Code”) is a technical text delineating the Roman Catholic Church’s canons. This book encompasses spiritual matters as well as hierarchical and administrative protocols for clergy, religious, and laity.

The Fifth Edition, as with the previous edition, is edited by Most Rev. Juan Ignacio Arrieta, the Secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts and a canon law professor. To answer the need to respond to recent ecclesiastical developments, Bishop Arrieta paid special attention to elements addressed by the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on synodality in the mission of the Church.

The Fifth Edition presents necessary updates to the canons based on the changes issued in recent motu propriopapal decrees. In the tradition of the style found in the 1993 edition edited by Prof. Ernest Caparros, the Fifth Edition includes new commentaries on various sections of the Code of Canon Law.

Published by Wilson & Lafleur, the Fifth Edition provides a thorough, practical understanding of the canons of the Church through legal texts and accompanying notes.

Midwest Theological Forum is the exclusive distributor in the United States for the Code of Canon Law Annotated.

Who is the Code of Canon Law Annotated, Fifth Edition, for?

The Code of Canon Law Annotated, Fifth Edition, is for:

• Those who serve in tribunal offices, including judicial vicars, judges, and administrators.
• Those who serve in diocesan chancery offices, such as the chancellor and vicar general.
• Anyone studying or practicing canon law in an academic setting, such as a Catholic university, seminary, or diaconate program.
• Parish priests, who will find it an invaluable commentary on and reference book to canon law.
• Anyone needing or desiring to reference a commentary on the Code of Canon Law for pastoral purposes, including lay people or religious superiors familiarizing themselves with the canons.

When will the Code of Canon Law Annotated, Fifth Edition, be available?

Midwest Theological Forum expects to receive copies of the Code of Canon Law Annotated, Fifth Edition, for distribution by early September 2026.