The Supreme Hermeneutic

 

 “Salus animarum suprema lex esto” — “the salvation of souls … must be the supreme law in the Church.”   (Canon Law 1752) 

This bears emphasis -- I read it in a canon law newsletter we receive by regular mail, but you can find it emphasized in these articles:

• https://liturgyguy.com/2016/07/14/the-supreme-law-of-the-church-is-the-salvation-of-souls
• https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2016/07/19/quick-thoughts-on-the-ultimate-purpose-of-canon-law-and-social-doctrine 

Both of these refer to a talk given by Archbishop Sample of Portland, Oregon called The Supreme Law of the Church.    He says:

The Church’s Code of Canon Law contains 1,752 laws covering everything from the structural organization of the Church as the people of God, the teaching of the Faith, the sacramental life of the Church, the administration of the material goods of the Church, and even penal and procedural law. But lest any of us (especially canon lawyers) forget the purpose of all of this body of law, the very last law (or “canon”) states that the “salvation of souls”, which must always be the supreme law of the Church, must be kept before our eyes.

All types of hermeneutics as well as law need to be judged by that overarching law, and note that the essential part of it comes from outside us -- it is not provisional, it is not a contract we make for ourselves.  It is not in the end time-bound, though it works itself out in time.