Are You a "Person" Under Canon Law? Adam Storey Explains - 08/20/2026

Adam Storey returns to the Catholic Morning Show for his monthly deep dive into canon law, tackling a term that trips up even lifelong Catholics: "juridic person." Adam explains that in church law, communities — not just individuals — can be recognized as "persons" capable of communal rights, duties, and action, a concept that traces back to what the Church, before the 1983 Code of Canon Law, called "moral persons." He walks through how parishes, dioceses, and seminaries are all juridic persons, and unpacks the key distinction between public and private juridic persons: public juridic persons act explicitly in the name of the Church, much like clerics and catechists are formally commissioned to minister in her name, even though every baptized Christian already participates in the Church's apostolic mission by virtue of baptism. As a fun test case, Bo asks where Iowa Catholic Radio fits in — Adam confirms the station has not been erected as a juridic person, but still fully participates in the apostolic ministry of the Church. Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com. #CanonLaw #AdamStorey #JuridicPerson #CatholicChurch #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicMorningShow #CatholicPodcast #CatholicFaith Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.