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 Wednesday, May 15, 2024, a day dedicated to blood donation was organized as part of University Life activities and in collaboration with Ema-Roma.

The initiative was aimed at students and teaching and non-teaching staff of Santa Croce.

The blood collected was delivered by Ema-Roma to the city hospitals San Filippo Neri and Santo Spirito.

Poster

 

The Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and Prelate of Opus Dei, Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, having heard the opinion of the university's governing bodies and the Academic Senate and received confirmation from the Dicastery for Culture and Education, has appointed the new Rector for the quadrennium 2024-2028, the Rev. Prof. Fernando Puig, currently Dean of the School of Canon Law.

The new Rector – who succeeds the Rev. Prof. Luis Navarro after eight years of tenure – will take office on October 1, 2024, at the beginning of the new academic year, which marks the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the University of the Holy Cross. On that same date, Professor Navarro's retirement is scheduled, having joined the Holy Cross in 1986.

On Friday, May 10th, 2024, the annual University Feast was held in memory of Blessed Álvaro del Portillo, our founder and first Grand Chancellor.

As a special guest, the artist and sculptor JAGO, pseudonym of Jacopo Cardillo, was invited, known for his numerous exhibitions and installations in various countries. In 2011, at just 24 years old, he participated in the Venice Biennale. As stated on his website: "His artistic research is rooted in traditional techniques. JAGO uses marble as a noble material, but addresses fundamental themes of the era he inhabits, establishing a direct relationship with the audience through the use of video and social networks, to share the production process."

The French Institute, through Campus France, has announced a competition for the awarding of several research scholarships for doctoral students and/or graduates of Pontifical Universities to fund a stay in France (ranging from 1 to 3 months, from August to December 2024).

Applications are open until May 22.

 

Download the call for applications

Pages

Follow the university's activities

Newsletter - L'Appuntamento

Stay up to date on our activities and events

Subscribe