Canon Law I: General

A. Course Description

This course aims to help students understand (i) the Law of the Catholic Church whose origin is Christ—the First Legislator of the Church; (ii) the traditional sources of the church law—history, theology; and (iii) the function of law in the Church today. The course also examines the main laws in the Code of Canon Law 1983: General norms, the People of God, and the teaching role of the Church.

Its objectives:

• To indicate that the Code is the authentic law of the Church, i.e. the Code is grounded in Christ who is realed in Scripture and the Tradition of the Church, it is especially unified in the teaching of Vatican II. Briefly, students are guided to recognize the proper value of the 1983 Code in the life of the Church today.
• To see the Code as a practically pastoral means—not as abstract but animated laws reflected on Jesus’ experience of living out the Jewish laws as a Jew. Thus, law is not regarded as a burden on which no one bothers to set a finger (cf. Mt 23:4).
• To grasp a basic understanding of the content of the Code as well as acquiring some skills so that students can apply a church law into a particular pastoral situation but also appropriately interprete the church laws when needed.
• To discern about using various resources of interpretation, periodicals, articles… for clarifying the meaning of the text and positively presenting the spirit of the church laws.

Furthermore, in this course students learn about God revealed in Jesus Christ and about deepening the love for God.

B. Bibliography

• Pontificia Commissio Codici Iuris Canonici Authentice Interpretando, Codex Iuris Canonici – Fontium Annotatione Et Indice Analytico-Alphabetico Auctus, Città del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1989.
• Acta Apostolica Sedis. Vatican City: Polyglottis Vaticanis. [A monthly official publication of the Acts of the Pope.]
• L’Osservatore Romano [A weekly newspaper of the Vatican where some Acts of the Pope are published.]
• Coriden, James A. An Introduction to Canon Law, New York: Paulist Press, 1991. [Secular Priest]
• Coriden, James A. An Introduction to Canon Law, Revised Edition, New York: Paulist Press, 2004. [Secular Priest]
• Coriden, James A., Thomas J. Green, and Donald E. Heintsche, Eds. The Code of Canon Law: A Text and Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 1985. [American Commentary]
• Beal, John P., James A. Coriden, Thomas J. Green, Eds. New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law. New York: Paulist Press, 2000. [Revised American Commentary]
• Sheehy, Gerard et al., The Canon Law – Letter & Spirit (A Practical Guide to the Code of Canon law). London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1995. [British Commentary]
• Caparros, E., M. Thériault, and J. Thorn, eds. Code of Canon Law Annotated. Montreal: Wilson and Lafleur Limitée, 1993. [Opus Dei Commentary]
• Caparros, E. and M. Aubé, eds. Code of Canon Law Annotated. Montreal: Wilson and Lafleur Limitée, 2004. [Revised Opus Dei Commentary]
• Huels, John M. The Pastoral Companion: A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry. Second Edition, Chicago: Franciscan Press, 1995. [O.S.M. – Servite]
• Huels, John M. The Pastoral Companion: A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry. Third Edition, Quincy University: Franciscan Press, 2002. [O.S.M. – Servite]
• Martin de Agar, Joseph T. A Handbook on Canon Law. Montreal: Wilson & Lafleur, 1999. [Opus Dei]
• Phan Tấn Thành, Giải Thích Giáo Luật (Interpretation of Canon Law)

C. Course Evaluation

Not yet been specified