1. Overview ​

Aim ​

The aim of this Handbook is to provide all parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Melbourne with guidelines on parish administration and management, including the administration of parish goods. These guidelines should be viewed as a minimum for each parish to follow.

Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Parish Finance Committee Statutes of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Code of Canon Law.

Church and civil law ​

The Church operates in two spheres: the church sphere and the civil sphere. Each sphere has its particular legislation. In the church sphere, it is the canons of the Code of Canon Law. In the civil sphere, it is the legal code of the Commonwealth and state governments. At times, the requirements of these laws can be the same; however, on other occasions, there are significant differences between the two.