"Canon law remains a huge obstacle in the ecumenical movement," Legrand observed, "and is tying the hands of Pope Francis as well."

No kidding... I hesitate to bring American politics into this much-needed ecumenical discussion (but let's face it, power/politics is part of the equation here), there is a disconnect between the right-leaning church hierarchy (i.e., Republican) and their propensity for enacting superfluous and intrusive canon law. One of the hallmarks of Republicanism is to limit the power of the government so as to "keep them out of our lives," and yet right-wing Catholicism, historically, has thrived on feeding the masses with a steady diet of heavy-handed canon law.

I am certainly not a conspiracy theorist but it makes one wonder... do they prefer a smaller civil/secular government in hopes of expanding their own religio-political interests? It is interesting to note that canon law is a major stumbling block to ecumenism as is also the case with American politics.