What is canon law according to the catholic church?

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The Catholic Church organized cannon law in the thirteenth century because they learned scholars were having difficulties with deciphering the codes and relating them to each other. Each area of the code existed in a separate book, which made it difficult to actually find the right code. By 1582 the canon law existed in a larger compilation volume.

In the early part of the 20th century, Pope Pius X determined that the canon laws should be updated. He requested that extraneous text be removed and all of the documents be turned into one specific code. He also called for the removal of narratives and portions that were later deemed obsolete by newer revisions. This was released in 1919 as the Code of the Canon Law (1917) and went into effect in 1918.

The code was again revised and while it was released in 1982, work on the project actually began in 1963. Pope John Paul II approved the final code on January 25, 1983, which became known as the 1983 Code of Canon Law. This law put into place specific requirements for students and scholars. It required all seminary students to study canon law. Judges and judicial vicars working in this field must also have the JCD doctorate degree and the JCL license to practice.

Resources on the canon laws include:

• Code of Canon Law (1983) : contains a full transcript of the 1983 canon law.
• Catholic Encyclopedia - Canon Law : full encyclopedia definition of the canon law as it relates to the Catholic Church.
• Apostolic Constitution : focuses on the actual meaning of the canon laws.
• Code of Canon Law : English translation of the canon law.
• The Code of Canon Law : offers a look at each law and issues broached in the canon law.
• Canon Law : provides reviews of different literature relating to canon law.
• Canon Law Society of America : focuses on issues that deal with canon law in America.
• Canon Law History : gives a history dating back to the Middle Ages.
• History of Canon Law : provides transcripts of college lectures on the topic.
• Canon Law Sources : gives translations on all the canon laws and other documents from the Church.
• Canon Law Research Guide : guide to understanding the laws and the meanings behind them.
• Corpus Juris Canonici : offers copies and scans of original documents.
• Canon Law Institute : nonprofit organization dedicated to helping others learn more about canon law.
• Codes of Canon Law : lists translations of all major canon laws.
• Canon Law Regarding Freemasonry : covers the areas of the codes that relate to freemasonry.

Canon law is the is the series of laws used by the Catholic Church as well as the legal system that follows those laws. Those who study canon law receive a specialized degree and typically study theology or regular law prior to taking classes in this field. In the early days of the Catholic Church, documents and decrees were collected together and published.

Canon law is an integral part of the Catholic Church and those who hold major offices within the Church. It denotes the way in which they’re expected to act, as well as the way they do their jobs. The Church’s last revision of the code updated it for more modern times and it’s possible that it will again be updated in the future.

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Get more facts and information about Canon law from The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions at Encyclopedia.com.