00218 - Canon Law

Learning outcomes

The Canon Law course aims to introduce a knowledge of one juridical system based on a religious not changeable source . This assumption gives to the law of the catholic Church a strong originality in comparison to the world of the secular laws. Its history is fundamental for the knowledge of European legal culture. Many institutions and many solutions of the juridical problems adopted by the States laws, are derived, in fact, from the canonical models. The configuration of the hierarchical Church and its"constitutional" right will be, with the marriage (and its crisis), the main topics of the lectures.
These references show the character of this educational and cultural discipline that interesting the both profiles:  the positive law and the history of law.

Course contents

The course of Canon Law is designed to have the students undestand how a legal sistem on a religious basis was originated and works. The most important themes will concern the sistem of souces and the legal costitution of tha Roman Church. A specific treatment will be devoted to religious marriage and its links with civil marriage.

Readings/Bibliography

G. CAPUTO, Introduzione allo studio del Diritto Canonico moderno. Tomo I: Lo jus publicum ecclesiasticum, Padova, Cedam, 1987 (appendici escluse), pp. 250;
A. ZANOTTI, Il matrimonio nell'età della tecnica, Torino, G. Giappichelli editore, 2007.
G. BONI, A. ZANOTTI, La Chiesa tra nuovo paganesimo e oblio. Un ritorno alle origini per il diritto canonico del terzo millennio?, G. Giappichelli editore, Torino, 2012.

The textbooks suggested to Erasmus students are those by Giuseppe Caputo, for the parts already mentioned in this giude.

Teaching methods

The course will be lessons held by the professor. He will have the task of tracking the general framework and address the crucial joints of the conceptual structure of the course. Italian and foreign scholars will be invited for lessons on specific topics.

Assessment methods

The verify of learning consists in a final proof which will explore the acquisition of knowledge and skills requested trough an oral examination sustained directly with the professor. In this way the student will be can show not only the learned knowledge, but also the critical and methodological capacities gained. In the same time he will must demonstrate to have some specific abilities. First of all, the possess of a mastery of expression and an appropriate technical language. The second one is the ability to move in safely within the system of the sources of this matter. The student moreover must have a clear perception of the information received and, finally, he must have properly understood the issues addressed in class and elucidated in the text books of reference.

Teaching tools

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Zanotti