Hierarchical dependence and unlawful actions of a superior.“Whistleblower” in the Church

Abstract

The article is devoted to the reflection on the functioning of the figure of the “whistleblower” in the structures of the Catholic Church. State law defines this concept as an  employee of an enterprise or a member of an institution  who, by revealing irregularities in their operation, and  especially unlawful activities committed by their  management, uses the protection granted to him by law  enforcement agencies. Although the individual  institution of a “whistleblower” is alien to the order of  the Church law, it nevertheless provides solutions  allowing for informing about unlawful activities,  including those committed by the Church superior. 
The reflection should take into account the hierarchical  constitution of the Catholic Church, which means a  number of church entities having appropriate authority,  ordered according to the degrees and subordination of  hierarchically lower organs, to superior organs, both at  the level of the universal and particular Church.
In the event that the superior, sometimes referred to as  the Ordinary and / or the Local Ordinary (can. 134 CIC  1983), takes an action contrary to the law or fails to fulfill obligations arising from a legal norm, which will be  equivalent to an unlawful act, the ecclesiastical „whistleblower” can and should inform about such cases the competent authorities.
After explaining the meaning of the figure of the  „whistleblower” under civil law, an attempt was made to adapt this concept to the canon law system. Later in the study, the code-based sources of the right/obligation were analyzed to make reports in the Church. A special place has been devoted to the latest changes contained in the canonical provisions of universal scope.