Most people don’t know we also aren’t supposed to be parish-shopping, Parishes have geographical boundaries and we are supposed to attend the parish that serves the boundaries in which we live. I didn’t know that before we chose our parish.
I would hope that bishops who do want this rule enforced at least also buck the trend of shuffling pastors every six years (or often fewer for administrators) to at least try to provide some long term assurance for those who would consider moving into the neighborhood of a good parish.
There is a custom, but not a rule, that people attend the parish that serves the boundaries where they live. And there isn't much of a custom any more. I suspect it arose because Baptism and Marriage are required to happen in your home parish, and as a practical matter he'll want some evidence that you're a practicing Catholic. However, he can give consent for Baptism and Matrimony to happen elsewhere, and can accept the word of another priest that you are in fact practicing the Faith. https://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2008/04/11/parish-registration/
I think the underlying principle is simply stability. Jumping from parish to parish every time a priest or another parishioner rubs you wrong is quite unhealthy. Moving to a parish that is spiritually healthy for you and staying there despite the inevitable frictions is perfectly reasonable.
The pastor is responsible for all the souls in his parish boundaries, Catholic, Protestant, or atheist, and that part actually is by law. But that doesn't mean the rule goes both ways. In Confession, for example, priests are generally bound to hear Confessions (within reasonable limits of time and place) from all who present themselves. However, no one is required to go to whatever priest is most readily available, or to their pastor/priest specifically.
Most people don’t know we also aren’t supposed to be parish-shopping, Parishes have geographical boundaries and we are supposed to attend the parish that serves the boundaries in which we live. I didn’t know that before we chose our parish.
I would hope that bishops who do want this rule enforced at least also buck the trend of shuffling pastors every six years (or often fewer for administrators) to at least try to provide some long term assurance for those who would consider moving into the neighborhood of a good parish.
There is a custom, but not a rule, that people attend the parish that serves the boundaries where they live. And there isn't much of a custom any more. I suspect it arose because Baptism and Marriage are required to happen in your home parish, and as a practical matter he'll want some evidence that you're a practicing Catholic. However, he can give consent for Baptism and Matrimony to happen elsewhere, and can accept the word of another priest that you are in fact practicing the Faith. https://canonlawmadeeasy.com/2008/04/11/parish-registration/
I think the underlying principle is simply stability. Jumping from parish to parish every time a priest or another parishioner rubs you wrong is quite unhealthy. Moving to a parish that is spiritually healthy for you and staying there despite the inevitable frictions is perfectly reasonable.
The pastor is responsible for all the souls in his parish boundaries, Catholic, Protestant, or atheist, and that part actually is by law. But that doesn't mean the rule goes both ways. In Confession, for example, priests are generally bound to hear Confessions (within reasonable limits of time and place) from all who present themselves. However, no one is required to go to whatever priest is most readily available, or to their pastor/priest specifically.