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Dr. Edward Peters

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Notices

 

22 mar 2019

Masterpage

1983 Code

Masterpage

1917 Code

Masterpage

 Liber Extra

 Masterpage

 Eastern Code

Research links

 

Codex Vigens 1983

Codex Vigens 1990

 

Pan-Textuals 1983

Pan-Textuals 1917

 

Academic Works

Related

 

 

AAS


Overview

Dictionaries, Encyclopedia, and Standard Reference Works on Canon Law

 

Canon law has many specialized concepts and vocabulary that are not always self-evident to those untrained in canonistics. Over the last several hundred years, and particularly during the 20th century, a variety of canonical dictionaries, encyclopedia, and reference works have been produced in an effort to unify and explain these special matters. Although, with one exception, none of these works is authoritative per se (only Communicationes is produced by ecclesiastical authority, and even it has not been designated as a site for the promulgation of law per 1983 CIC 8 § 1), their use greatly facilitates accurate canonical research.

 

The works below are grouped into broad chronological sets; that does not mean, however, that materials listed in one group are of little or no value to researchers with interests in other periods. Canon law, like other legal systems , builds on what came before, even as it reshapes what it inherited. In short, older works retain a relatively high degree of usefulness even after the law that they were developed to explain has evolved into later forms or passed from use.

 


1983 Code

Communicationes

 

Pontificia Commissio Codici Iuris Canonici Recognoscendo (1969-1983); Pontificia Commissio ad Codicem Iuris Canonici Authentice Interpretandum ([mens. VI] 1984); Pontificia Commissio Codicis Iuris Canonici Authentice Interpretando ([mens. XII] 1984); Pontificia Commissio Codici Iuris Canonici Authentice Interpretando (1985-1988); Pontificium Consilium de Legum Textibus Interpretandis (1989-1998); Pontificium Consilium de Legum Textibus (1999 to date).

The dicastery charged with responsibility for legislative texts, now known as the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, has undergone a distressing number name changes but there is little purpose served by retracing them in canonical footnotes. The dicastery journal, Communicationes, is so well-known in canonical circles that there is no need to identify it further. The name of this journal should never be abbreviated as it would be hopelessly confused with a common abbreviation for "commentary". Note that the year materials were published in Communicationes is almost always not the year in which they were originally produced; that can be very confusing and is best avoided by not listing the year a given issue of Communicationes was published and identifying only the volume number.

 

X. Ochoa, ed., Leges Ecclesiae post Codicem iuris canonici editae, (Commentarium pro religiosis, 1987-2010) vols. VI - X. =

 

Canon Law Digest, vols. XI - XII (Canon Law Society of America). Cite volume and page only; the year of publication is worse than irrelevant—it is confusing when tracking documents published in many different years.

 

J. Otaduy, et al, eds., Diccionario General de Derecho Canónico, (Universidad de Navarra / Aranzada, 2012) in 7 vols. Notes: 2500+ entries.

 

C. Corral, et al., eds., Nuovo Dizionario di Diritto Canonico (Pont. Univ. Comillas, 1993) = pp.

 

Patricia Dugan (American laywoman, =) & Paul Gagaro (Scottish priest, =), A Simple Dictionary of Canon Law [2012], (CanonLawBooks, 2° ed., 2014) 107 pp.

 

Luigi Chiapetta (Italian priest, =), Prontuario di Diritto Canonico e Concordatario, (Dehoniane, 1994) 1487 pp.

 

Pérez de Heredia y Valle & J. Llaquet, eds., Diccionario Enciclopédico de Derecho Canónico, (Herder, 2008) 957 pp., R. Bernet trans. of S. Haering & H. Schmitz, eds., Lexicon des Kirchenrechts 2001.

 


1917 Code

 

 

P. Gasparri & J. Serédi, eds., Codicis Iuris Canonici Fontes, in 9 vols., (Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1923-1949). For an orientation to using Pio-Benedictine footnotes, go here.

 

Canon Law Digest, vols. I - X (various publishers). Cite volume and page only; the year of publication for each volume is worse than irrelevant—it is confusing when tracking documents published in many different years.

 

Bouscaren, Founder

Canon Law Digest

 

X. Ochoa, ed., Leges Ecclesiae post Codicem iuris canonici editae, (Commentarium pro religiosis, 1966-1987) vols. I - VI.

 

DDC • R. Naz, ed., Dictionnaire de Droit Canonique, in 7 vols. (Librarie Letouzey et Ané, 1935-1965).

 

 

This work is so fundamental to canonical research that the initials DDC should be reserved for it. Although the DDC appeared over three decades, there is no need to cite the year of publication for each individual volume; it suffices to recall that they were published in the decades immediately proceeding the Second Vatican Council.

 

DMC • P. Palazzini, ed., Dictionarium Morale et Canonicum, in 4 vols. (Officium Libri Catholici, 1962-1968). Reviews: J. Abbo, Jurist 23 (1963) 249-252 (on vol. 1 only); W. Reich, Jurist 29 (1969) 237-241 (on vol. 4 only).

 

This work is not as well known as it should be; the initials DMC should deserve to be reserved for it. The DMC appeared over just six years and there is no need to reiterate the year of publication for each individual volume; it suffices to recall that they were published about the time of the Second Vatican Council and reflect, for the most part, pre-Conciliar canonistics. A large number of the entries were written by the editor, Pietro Palazzini (Italian prelate, 1912-2000).

 

DTC • A. Vacant, ed., Dictionnarie de Théologie Catholique, 1923-1950.

This work is so fundamental to canonical and theological research that the initials DTC should be reserved for it. Although the DTC appeared over three decades, there is no need to reiterate the year of publication for each individual volume; it suffices to recall that they were published in the decades immediately proceeding the Second Vatican Council.

 

Patrick Lydon (American priest, 1883-1969), Ready Answers in Canon Law [1934], (Benziger, 3° ed., 1948) 523 pp. ▪ Review: T. Martin, Jurist 9 (1949) 354-356.

 

Marius Pistocchi (1874-1943), Lexicon Juridico-Canonicum (Berruti, 1934) 169 pp.

 

P. Trudel (Sulpician, =), A Dictionary of Canon Law (Herder, 1919) 242 pp.

 


Decretal Law

 

 

 

 

Ethelred Taunton (English priest, 1857-1907), The Law of the Church: A Cyclopaedia of Canon Law for English-Speaking Countries (Herder, 1906) 652 pp. Notes: Taunton's Cyclopaedia is available here.

 

Lucius Ferraris ( c. 1763), Prompta Biblioteca canonica, juridica, moralis, theologica [1746],  rev. ed., (Typis Abbatiae Montis Casini, 1844-1847) in 7 vols. See also G. Lepointe, "Ferraris (Lucius)" DDC V: 831.

 


Other

 

 


User notes

There might be editions of works that pre-date or post-date those cited herein. Reviews and Notes are grey-highlighted, on-line biographical information is underlined blue-linked, and matters in green highlights are of special interest. Yellow highlights are cautions for users while the markers "=", "≠", and "≈" are placeholders for use by webmaster.


 Materials on this website represent the opinions of Dr. Edward Peters and are offered in accord with Canon 212 § 3.

This website undergoes continual refinement and development. No warranty of completeness or correctness is made.

Dr. Peters' views are not necessarily shared by others in the field nor are they intended as canonical or civil advice.

 

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