Death benefits in favor of the Church: Civil and ecclesiastical law implications

The relationship between the Church and inheritance law lies at the intersection of private law and ecclesiastical law and therefore raises a number of specific doctrinal and regulatory issues. Civil law approaches inheritance from the perspective of legal capacity, whilst ecclesiastical law emphasizes the acquisition of property and the proper use of the acquired property. In this context, transparency and accountability regarding decisions on the approval of property acquisition and the use of inherited property play a key role. The various denominations regulate all this in accordance with their own organisational structures and normative traditions. Historical and comparative legal experience shows that the relationship between the church and inheritance is constantly adapting to social and legal policy changes. The transformation of funding models and the advance of digitalisation call for new interpretative frameworks, which necessitate a more nuanced understanding of the normative coexistence and dynamics between church autonomy and inheritance law, as well as further refinement of the regulations.