Canon is the Greek word for rule, norm, standard or measure. Canon Law is a code of ecclesiastical laws governing the Catholic Church. In the Latin or Western Church, the governing code is the 1983 Code of Canon Law, a revision of the 1917 Code of Canon Law. A separate but parallel Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, issued in 1990, governs the Eastern Catholic churches. That document was the first comprehensive code of church law governing all Eastern Catholic churches.
When the revised Code of Canon Law was promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1983, it contained eighty-four canons that call for, or permit, legislative action by episcopal conferences thereby establishing particular legislation for the dioceses of a particular conference. These particular laws are called Complementary Norms. Please consult your episcopal conference for the Complementary Norms established in your diocese.