ONGREGATION DECREE REVISES CURRICULUM IN CANON LAW

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 2002 (VIS) - The Congregation for Catholic Education has just made public a Decree which revises the curriculum in Canon law faculties. The Decree, which the Pope ratified and confirmed, is dated September 2 and was signed by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski and Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau, S.J., prefect and secretary of this dicastery.

The text explains that "the curriculum of studies for a licentiate degree as it was established by the Apostolic Constitution 'Sapientia christiana', promulgated by John Paul II in 1979, is no longer valid for the study and understanding of the disciplines." As a result, "upon completing the two-year licentiate, the juridical formation of the students did not reach the level of knowledge of Church law that is presently required in order to carry out ecclesiastical functions that demand a specific preparation in canon law."

In addition, the Decree states that, while "the theological and pastoral disciplines in the theological faculties had been improved, less time and attention was paid to canon law and the Latin language in the larger seminaries."

After a review of all the faculties and institutes of canon law established by the Congregation for Catholic Education, the conclusion was reached that "the curriculum of the licentiate should be lengthened to three years or six semesters in the second of the three cycles and that the first should be absolutely obligatory and better-structured."

The decree goes into effect at the beginning of the 2003-2004 academic year.

...;DECREE CANON LAW;...;...;VIS;20021114;Word: 260;