Abstract
One of the major risks that the ecclesiastic properties may face is the alienation. Therefore, throughout the history The Church has been attentive to this legal figure, which has its own identity and conditions and does not refer, or applies, to all the ecclesiastic properties but to some kinds of properties with particular specifications. The fundamental protection of ecclesiastic properties ensures the financial viability for The Church and the public legal persons.
Ecclesiastic properties are those owned by a public legal person characterized for being especially subject to a series of controls by the ecclesiastic authority. Among the canonic controls are notorious the demand to get a canonic license granted by the said authority, so that they can be lawfully alienated. If, in any case, any ecclesiastic property is alienated without fulfilling the canonic requirements, even though it is lawfully done under the civil law, then a higher competent authority should decide whether any legal action is to be started and which one, either personal or real, who will start it and against what party, so that the rights of The Church may be protected.
Not all the civil legislation adheres to the canonic rules concerning the valid alienation of ecclesiastic properties. Therefore, it is usual in the civil legislation to carry out valid patrimonial legal businesses without complying with the requirement of canonic license provided in the canon 1291 of the Canonic Law Code from 1983. When such a legal phenomenon occurs, there is a need to determine the appropriate actions so that The Church may claim its rights, either to recover the thing at stake (real action) or being reimbursed the property value or getting a compensation (personal action). It also important to set clear whether the legitimizing process is active or passive as well as the type of action, either canonic or civil. This way, it will be easier to determine the most appropriate action and whether it is convenient to go on with process or not.
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