Ecclesiastical Law

Canon Law

Article on canon law, as published in the Catholic Encyclopedia online, made available on the New Advent website. The article was written by A. Boudinhon, and transcribed by David DeWolf. It discusses the differences between canon law and ecclesiastical law, and describes the sources and divisions of the body of laws of the Christian Church. It outlines the historical development of collections of canon law texts from the early Christian Church to modern times, and describes the different types of text (bulls, briefs, concordats, etc).

Statutes of Gregory IX for the University of Paris, 1231

Web pages containing an English translation of the Statutes of Pope Gregory IX for the University of Paris, 1231, as published in English originally by the University of Pennsylvania Press, 1897, pp.7-11, and presented on the Internet by Paul Halsall. Gregory's Statutes concern the relations between the Chancellor of the University and the Bishop of Paris, the appointment of the Chancellor, the licensing of masters of theology, and the licensing of masters in medicine and arts.

Church measures

Collection of all measures passed by the General Synod of the Church of England since 1988, together with selected Church measures from earlier dates. The measures are on the official Legislation.gov website and they may be searched or browsed.

Constitutions of Clarendon, 1164

Web pages containing the text of the Constitutions of Clarendon, a written statement by Henry II of England, made at Clarendon, near Salisbury, in 1164. The 16 articles concern the relationship between church and state in England and set out to limit the secular power of the church and ecclesiastical courts. These pages form part of the Medieval Sourcebook, an internet resource on medieval history, maintained by Paul Halsall and hosted by Fordham University in New York.

Religious legal systems in comparative law: a guide to introductory research

Online guide to religious legal systems written by Marylin Johnson Raisch who is International and Foreign Law librarian at the John Wolff International and Comparative Law Library of the Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC. The guide was published on the Globalex website in 2006 (and updated in 2022) and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The author provides an introduction to religious law and general sources of information on the subject both online and printed.

Canon Law Literature

Bibliography on Canon law compiled by Ulrich Rhode, Professor of Canon Law at Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Germany. The bibliography contains links to bibliographic databases, periodicals and book series. The periodicals section is divided into current titles and titles which have ceased publication. Records give the date and place of publication and a link to the website where available. The book series section only includes titles with a website. Many of the resources linked to are available in Italian or German. A few are available in English.

Church of England Legal Services

Website of the Church of England Legal Office who provide professional legal services to National Church Institutions of the Church of England. The website has a list of Church Assembly and General Synod Measures back to 1920 along with Statutory Instruments relating to the Church of England back to 1964. The site also has a copy of the Canons of the Church of England which can be viewed in full in PDF format. A selection of FAQs provide information on ecclesiastical land and the General Synod.

Ecclesiastical Law Society

Website of the Ecclesiastical Law Society (ELS), an organisation established in 1987 to promote the study of ecclesiastical and canon law. The site outlines the aims of the Society and gives details of its events and publications, including the Ecclesiastical Law Journal. The book, 'The Principles of Canon Law Common to the Churches of the Anglican Communion' can be downloaded in pdf format, free of charge. To accompany the book, the site provides a bibliography, details of selected cases and links to Church resolutions and other official documents.

Code of Canon Law

Online version of the Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law, provided by IntraText, an open-access digital library. The Code is the most recent compilation of ecclesiastical law for the Roman Catholic church, revised in 1983 and made up of 1,752 canons in 7 books. Canon law is the law of the Church's courts and includes rules for the governance and regulation of the clergy and the church. The website includes concordances and word lists which can be ordered alphabetically or by frequency of occurrence.

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