Legal Definitions - canonical impediment

A canonical impediment is an obstacle or prohibition recognized by canon law that prevents an individual from validly performing a specific act or entering into a particular state, most commonly marriage or ordination within a church governed by such laws. Canon law refers to the internal ecclesiastical law governing certain Christian churches, such as the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.

Here are some examples illustrating canonical impediments:

• Marriage Between Relatives: Sarah, a member of the Catholic Church, wishes to marry her first cousin, David. Under Catholic canon law, marriage between first cousins is generally prohibited due to the impediment of consanguinity (blood relationship). This means that without a special permission or "dispensation" from the church authority, their marriage would be considered invalid in the eyes of the Church. The close familial relationship acts as a canonical impediment to a valid sacramental marriage.

• Prior Marriage and Ordination: John, a devout Catholic man, feels called to become a priest. However, John was previously married in a civil ceremony, and his wife is still alive, though they are separated. Since the Roman Catholic Church requires its priests to be celibate and not to have entered into a prior valid marriage, John's existing marital bond constitutes a canonical impediment to his ordination as a priest. He would not be able to be ordained unless his prior marriage was formally annulled by the Church.

• Age Requirement for Office: In some church governance structures, there are minimum age requirements for holding certain leadership positions, such as being ordained as a bishop. If a candidate is otherwise qualified but has not yet reached the canonically prescribed age, their age would be a canonical impediment to their immediate appointment or ordination to that specific office. They would need to wait until they meet the age requirement to be considered eligible.