School of Canon Law

Diritto Canonico

The School of Canon Law strives to prepare canonists with a deep theoretical and practical knowledge of Church law, which helps them develop legal skills with pastoral sensibility, while meeting the practical demands of legal praxis among God's people.

English brochure


Teaching follows a systematic method. It attempts to integrate the many juridical institutions emerging from the study of the Church’s Law within the diverse branches of canonical science. All this, in conformity with the Church’s vision of herself as expressed in the Second Vatican Council.

The program’s realist perspective helps the student to appreciate the dimension of justice that belongs to the salvific goods of the Church even prior to their reception in positive law.  This metaphysical realism offers a much richer viewpoint than the old positivistic outlook, which still influences some currents of canonical thought.  Students learn to seek justice while exercising legal prudence in fidelity to sound ecclesiastical tradition.
The program integrates theoretical study with courses on legal praxis.

The School has a large number of permanent professors as well as many prestigious visiting professors from the Roman Curia and from all over the world.

The School’s research and teaching are enriched by the staff’s experience in various dicasteries of the Holy See and in the Tribunals of the Vicariate of Rome. Close links to and regular academic collaboration with colleagues from other universities of Rome and of other countries also enrich the School, along with the theological research and collaboration of the School of Theology.

 

Sezione: 

In evidenza

On December 7, 2020, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the publication of the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis gaudium of Pope Francis, an interinstitutional agreement was signed by the Conference of Rectors of Roman Universities and Pontifical Institutions (CRUIPRO) to promote the mobility of students within the Roman ecclesiastical university system.

The agreement provides that every semester, ordinary students will be able to attend a course in one of the signatory institutions free of charge, subject to authorization by the institution they belong to and acceptance by the host institution.

Go to the Agreement

On Monday, October 5, 2020 (9:30 am, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare) Holy Mass for the inauguration of the Academic Year 2020/2021 took place, presided by the Rector of the University, rev. prof. Luis Navarro.

Santa Messa per l’inaugurazione dell’Anno accademico 2020/2021

Access to the celebration was by invitation, to allow compliance with the rules established by the health authorities.

On September 3, 2020, the Italian course for new entrants began. The activity is taking place in online mode.

These are three groups for a total of 71 students​, divided by level of knowledge of the language (A1, A2, B1). They participate from South Asia, from various African countries, Latin America & Europe.

Two groups have lessons in the morning (Italian time) and a group of South Americans has lessons in the afternoon (Italian time), therefore in time slots adapted to their needs.

On October 5, 2020, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross will hopefully begin lessons for the new academic year in presential mode. This reopening will respect and follow the indications of the Health Authorities.

The level of normality will depend on the evolution of COVID 19 and - in an institution with a strong international presence - on the situation in the students' countries of origin.

At the moment, with the data currently available, the University is preparing some measures and investments to start the 2020/2021 courses without delays or uncertainties.

These measures include:

1. The maintenance of the entire academic courses and the general distribution of timetables;

2. The University will try to ensure that any delays in the ability to attend courses (for reasons related to the pandemic) do not have a negative academic impact on the student;

Pages

Follow the university's activities

Newsletter - L'Appuntamento

Stay up to date on our activities and events

Subscribe