Father Edward Dillon officialis of the Atlanta Archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal, was among the country’s leading canon lawyers who recently met in Philadelphia with Pericle Cardinal Felici, president of the Pontifical Commission for Revision of the Code of Canon Law and of the Pontifical Commission for the Interpretation of the Decrees of Vatican Council II.

The meeting, suggested by John Cardinal Krol of Philadelphia, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, was an informal gathering described by Cardinal Felici as “cordial and friendly.”

The canonists, all members of the Canon Law Society of America, discussed methods of reviewing proposals for the revised legal code with the visiting prelate.

Describing the steps in the revision of the Code of Canon Law, Cardinal Felici said that the early phases included the naming of the commission (which includes Cardinal Krol) and of about 130 consultors, who include canonists, sociologists and theologians.

This group of consultors, subdivided into 13 units charged with preparing schematic proposals for new books of the legal code, conducts extensive study and evaluates suggestions submitted by bishops, university faculties and interested groups and individuals throughout the world.

After these suggestions and reactions have been sifted and distilled, Cardinal Felici explained, the proposed drafts of the new Code are sent to bishops for their further study and reflection.

Commenting on objections from members of the Canon Law Society should be sent to groups such as their own, Cardinal Felici noted that input by experts had already been invited in preliminary stages and that the bishops of the world were free to obtain evaluations of the draft documents from local canonists and scholars.

Cardinal Felici noted that the Canon Law Society of America was but one among hundreds of learned societies and religious organizations which could ask for the legislative drafts.