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Robert Reddig's avatar

Would love to hear from any canon lawyers out there: what happens if people buy a church and the bishop says no? They own it--is it just a "private chapel" then? or whatever the term is. They could have masses if they hire their own priest for a mass, or have baptisms by a deacon, etc. Could they keep the blessed sacrament there in a tabernacle? And, if it wasn't officially "profaned" or whatever by the bishop (is that a thing??) then could basically do anything they want with it according to canon law?

On another note--who typically "owns" a parish these days in the US? I know that the dioceses aren't supposed to. Is there some "corporation" set up for each parish that is it's own business? I assume so, but then who legally makes decisions? Does the outgoing priest legally (according to civil law) "give" control to the new priest?

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