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8 nov 2024

Research links

Canonical & Roman

Legal History, here.

Ius Antiquum, here.

Gratian, here.

Ius Decretalium, here.

Overview

Master Page on the Corpus Iuris Canonici

The Corpus Iuris Canonici (Body of Canon Law) is a set of six works under which Roman Catholic canon law was organized from the time of Gratian until the promulgation of the Pio-Benedictine Code, that is, for roughly 800 years.

Background

The Corpus Iuris Canonici consisted of the:

• Concordia of Gratian (c. 1140), private;

• Decretales of Gregory IX (1234), official;

• Liber Sextus of Boniface VIII (1298), official;

• Clementinae (1317), official;

• Extravagantes Ioannis XXII (1322), private;

• Extravagantes communes (1499-1502), private.

Original and/or critical editions of the individual works contained in the Corpus Iuris Canonici do not exist. In 1582, however, the "Roman Correctors", prelates and scholars working under papal sponsorship, published their version of the Corpus Iuris Canonici albeit focusing on Gratian's Concordia. Their text was designed to be of practical use and so does not pretend to critical accuracy. The entire work is available through UCLA, here.

On the place of the Corpus Iuris Canonci in canonistics see, e.g., G. Mollat & P. Torquebiau, "Corpus Iuris Canonici", DDC IV: 610-644; A. Van Hove, "Corpus Iuris Canonici", CE IV: 391-394, on-line here; and L. Boyle, "Corpus Iuris Canonici", NCE2 IV: 272-273. See also wiki Corpus Iuris Canonici.

Three post-Tridentine popes considered issuing a seventh book for the CJC and, in 1598, the "Decretals of Clement VIII" appeared but without specific legislative force. It was soon forgotten. In 1870, however, German scholar Franz Sentis found and republished these documents but, it seems, by then, between the administrative hardships that the Vatican was suffering under the Italian revolution and the growing sense that codified canon law was on the horizon, nothing more came of the idea.

Resources

for the Corpus

Iuris Canonici

Friedberg

Today the presentations of the Corpus Iuris Canonici most in use are those organized by Aemilius Friedberg (1837-1910). Besides the Concordia of Gratian discussed here, and the Decretals of Gregory IX discussed here, the other four texts of the Corpus are:

• Liber Sextus in A. Friedberg, ed., Corpus Iuris Canonici, Pars Secunda, Decretalium Collectiones, Pars Secunda, Liber Sextus Decretalium D. Bonifacii Papae VIII. Suae integritati restitutus (Lawbook Exchange, 2000) 929-1124. ▪ Notes: On the place of Liber Sextus in canonistics see, e.g., A. Arquillière, "Boniface VIII", DDC II: 940-948, esp. 940-941; from the above, P. Torquebiau, "III. Le Sexte de Bonificae VIII", DDC IV: 632-635; and L. Boyle, "Liber Sextus", NCE2 VIII: 536. • Go directly to the UCLA Liber Sextus, here.

• Clementinae in A. Friedberg, ed., Corpus Iuris Canonici editio Lipsiensis secunda post Aemilii Ludouci Richteri curas, Pars Secunda: Decretalium Collectiones, Clementis Papae V Constitutiones, (Lawbook Exchange, 2000) 1125-1200. ▪ Notes: On the place of the Clementinae in canonistics see, from the above, G. Mollat, "IV. Les Clémentines", DDC IV: 635-640; and L. Boyle, "Clementinae", NCE2 III: 800.

• Extravagantes Ioannis XXII in A. Friedberg, ed., Corpus Iuris Canonici editio Lipsiensis secunda post Aemilii Ludouci Richteri curas, Pars Secunda: Decretalium Collectiones, Extravagantes tum viginti D. Ioannis Papae XXII tum communes suae integretati restitutae (Lawbook Exchange, 2000) 1201-1236. ▪ Notes: On the place of Extravagantes Joannis XXII in canonistics see, from the above, P. Torquebiau, "V. Les Extravagantes (Extravagantes de Jean XXII)", DDC IV: 641; and L. Boyle, "Extravagantes" NCE2 V: 570.

• See also Jacqueline Tarrant [Brown], Extrauagantes Iohannis XXII, (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, 1983) xii-292 pp. ▪ Review: A. Marchetto, Apollinaris 59 (1986) 801-802. Notes: Based on a doctoral dissertation at the University of Toronto, 1976.

• Extravagantes communes in A. Friedberg, ed., Corpus Iuris Canonici editio Lipsiensis secunda post Aemilii Ludouci Richteri curas, Pars Secunda: Decretalium Collectiones, Extravagantes Decretales quae a diversis Romanis pontificibus post sextum emanverunt, (Lawbook Exchange, 2000) 1237-1312. ▪ Notes: On the place of Extravagantes communes in canonistics see, from the above, P. Torquebiau, "V. Les Extravagantes (Les Extravagantes communes)", DDC IV: 641-643; and L. Boyle, "Extravagantes" NCE2 V: 570.

Indices for

the Corpus

Iuris Canonici

• Xaverius Ochoa [Sanz] (Spanish Claretian, 1923-1989) & Aloisius Diez (1955?-=), Indices Canonum, Titulorum et Capitulorum Corporis Iuris Canonici (Commentarium pro Religiosis, 1964) v-107 pp. ▪ Review: B. Deutsch in Jurist 26 (1966) 256-266.

• Franciscus Germovnik (American priest, 1915-2005), Indices ad Corpus Iuris Canonici [1980], (2° ed., rev. by M. Thériault, University of St. Paul, 2000) viii-497 pp. ▪ Review: J. Lynch in Jurist 61 (2001) 317-319. Notes: The first edition of this work, solely Germovnik's effort, was titled Index analytico-alphabeticus ad primam [-secundum] partem Corporis iuris canonici (Decretum Gratiani): secundum editionem Aemilii Friedberg (1980). ≡ Germovnik b iograph.

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.

Some

abbreviations

on this page might include:

AAS

CLD

Comm.

Acta Apostolicae Sedis (1909 et seq.)

Catholic Encyclopedia (1907-1914)

Canon Law Digest (beginning 1933)

Commentary (≠ Communicationes!)

DDC

DMC

NCE

NCE2

Dictionnaire de Droit Canonique (1935-1965)

Dictionarium Morale et Canonicum (1962-1968)

New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967)

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 2° ed. (2003)

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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