JP008 – Church Hierarchy I – The Oriental Code of Canon Law: Titles III, IV, V and VI

Course Information

Professor: Georges-Henri Ruyssen, SJ gruyssen@gmail.com & S.E.R. Cyril Vasil, SJ segretario@orientchurch.va

Programma: Thur. 4:00 – 5:30, 1^st sem., 2 cr., 3 ECTS

Content

The course studies the canons in the Oriental Code of Canon Law which concern: the supreme authority of the Church (munus and power, the vacant Roman See, papal election); the college of bishops (nature, members, power, an ecumenical council, bishops in various parts of the world, the synod of bishops and the college of cardinals); the patriarchal Churches; the major archiepiscopal Churches; the metropolitan Churches and other Churches sui iris.

Objective

To illustrate the double nature of the supreme authority of the Catholic Church, namely, the role of the Roman Pontiff as the successor of St. Peter and the role of the bishops as the successors of the Apostles. To understand the reciprocal relationship here in the exercise of the suprema potestas Ecclesiæ.

Bibliography

G.F. Ghirlanda, Il diritto nella Chiesa: mistero di comunione. Compendio di diritto ecclesiale, Roma 2014.