HERKES TANRI’NIN KÜÇÜK KİLİSE BAHÇESİNİ KONUŞUYOR: BİR ZÜMRE KİLİSE BİRLİĞİNDEN AYRILINCA MÜLKİYET SAHİPLİĞİ KİMDEDİR?

Abstract

Bir zümrenin bağlı olduğu kiliseden, kısmen ya da tamamen ayrılmasıyla ortaya çıkan isim değişikliği durumunda, ortaya hak sahipliği, özellikle de gayrimenkullerin sahipliği sorunu çıkmaktadır. Ayrılan zümre mi hak sahibidir, yoksa ilk isim sahibi mi? Bu durum mahkemelerin, anayasanın dinsel işlere karışmama hükmünden dolayı, kiliseler arası anlaşmazlıklara dahil olmakta isteksiz olduğu Amerika’da daha da problemli olmaktadır. Kiliselerin hiyersrşik idari yapısı belirleyici bir çözüm sunabilmektedir. Örneğin Roma Katolik Kilise hiyerarşisi kontrolü piskoposluk düzeyinde sağlarken, öte yandan daha yerel bir şekilde yönetilen Babtist Kilisesi’nde bölgesel birim, papazlığın yetki alanında yok denecek kadar az otorite kullanmaktadır. Bu makale, ABD’de Virginia bölgesinde piskoposlar tarafından yönetilen kilisenin (Anglikan Komünyonu) dâhil olduğu ve halen devam eden bir hukuk davasına odaklanmaktadır. Daha muhafazakâr üyelerin temel doktrinsel değişimleri ulusal düzeyde değerlendirmelerinden dolayı, bazı piskoposluk bölgeleri isim haklarından mülk sahipliği talep ederek feragat etmek istemişlerdir. Alışılmamış bir çözüm, ana kiliseyi yerel kiliselerle maliyetli, gereğinden fazla uzayan ve acı duygular uyandıran mahkeme savaşları cehenneminin ortasında bırakmaktadır. Çalışmada özet olarak Birleşik Devletlerdeki diğer “isim ayrılmaları” ve Balkanlardaki Hıristiyan ve Hıristiyan-Müslüman hak sahipliği anlaşmazlıklarına da değinilmiştir.

Keywords

• Hukuk, din, tarih, kültür, siyaset bilimi

EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’ ‘BOUT GOD’S LITTLE ACRE: WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY WHEN A SEGMENT OF A CHURCH LEAVES THE DENOMINATION?

Abstract

The departure of a segment of a church or an entire parish that leaves the denomination presents the problem of property ownership, particularly real property. Does the departing faction or the denomination have rightful title? This can be more problematic in an American jurisdiction where the courts are reluctant to enter into an intra-church dispute because of the constitutional non-establishment of religion clause. An added decisive element is reflected in the hierarchical governmental structure of a church. For example, the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy provides control at the diocesan level, whereas, in a more locally ruled Baptist church, a regional body exercises little, if any, authority over a parish. This paper focuses primarily on the ongoing litigation involving the Diocese of Virginia of the Episcopal Church USA (Anglican Communion). Because of what more conservative members regard as fundamental doctrinal shifts at the national level, several parishes opted to leave the denomination, claiming property ownership. The atypical result is a costly, protracted, and embittered court battle pitting the mother church against the local churches. Similar legal issues in other denominations in the United States and Christian and Christian-Moslem property disputes in the Balkans are more summarily addressed

Keywords

• Law, religion, history, culture, political science

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