Doctor of Canon Law (Catholic Church)

Doctor of Canon Law (

canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges. It may also be abbreviated ICD or dr.iur.can. (Iuris Canonici Doctor), ICDr, DCL, DCnl, DDC, or DCanL (Doctor of Canon Law). A doctor of both laws

(i.e. canon and civil) is a JUD (Juris Utriusque Doctor) or UJD (Utriusque Juris Doctor).

Course of study

A doctorate in canon law normally requires earning the degree

dissertation that contributes to the development of canon law. Only a pontifical university

or ecclesiastical faculties of canon law may grant the doctorate or licentiate in canon law.

The Licentiate of Canon Law is a three-year degree. The prerequisite for it is normally the

graduate-level Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, a Master of Divinity, or a Master of Arts

in Catholic Theology.

While not a civil law degree, the doctor of canon law is in some ways comparable to the Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD) or doctor of laws (LLD) in terms of the nature of study, as they are terminal academic research degrees as opposed to professional degrees.

Ecclesiastical office prerequisite

Members of the

episcopal vicar in a diocese. Candidates for bishop

must either possess the doctorate in canon law or the doctorate in sacred theology or be truly expert in one of those fields. Canonical advocates must possess the doctorate or be truly expert.

History

The Roman Church has the oldest continuously used homogeneous legal system in the world. Following the

School of Canon Law, University of Saint Paul). The University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines

, has been awarding the degree since 1734.

Noted Doctors of Canon Law

Lorenzo Antonetti, President Emeritus of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[1]

Carlos Azpiroz Costa, former Master of the Order of Preachers; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[2]
Pope Benedict XV, pope
Tarcisio Bertone, Cardinal Secretary of State Emeritus
Anthony Bevilacqua, cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, United States
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)
Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh
, Ireland
Archbishop Emeritus of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Bishop Emeritus of La Crosse, Wisconsin
, United States

Archbishop Emeritus of Bologna

, Italy

Darío Castrillón Hoyos, cardinal, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
Nicolaus Copernicus, mathematician and astronomer of the Renaissance, formulated a heliocentric model of the universe; received degree 31 May 1503 (Jure Canonico ... et doctoratus)
Kevin John Dunn, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, England; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[3]

Edward Egan, cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, United States
Angelo Felici, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei
Georg Gänswein, Archbishop, Prefect of the Papal Household, private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI
Pietro Gasparri, cardinal, Holy See Secretary of State, codifier of the 1917 Code of Canon Law
armorist of twentieth-century ecclesiastical heraldry

Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[4]

William Keeler, Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore
, United States

Thomas C. Kelly, Archbishop Emeritus of Louisville, Kentucky, United States; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[5]
Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia
Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois, United States; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[6]

William Lyndwood, English Bishop of St Davids, diplomat and canonist, most notable for the publisher of The Provinciale
Mary McAleese, President of Ireland 1997 - 2011
Ft. Lauderdale
, Florida, United States
Apostolic Nuncio to Poland
and formerly the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer, Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations
Gerald Moverley, Bishop Emeritus of Hallam, England; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[7]
David M. O'Connell, Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey, United States, and President Emeritus of the Catholic University of America; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America^[8]
Congregation for the Clergy; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[9]

Thomas Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, United States
Pope Paul VI, pope; awarded Doctorate in Canon Law from the University of Milan
Peter Smith, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, Wales; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[10]

School of Canon Law

in 1991

Francisco Polti Santillan, Bishop of Santiago del Estero
, Argentina

Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals
Angelo Sodano, Emeritus Dean of the College of Cardinals
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
Belgian Senate
, former rector of the Catholic University of Leuven
Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)^[11]

Footnotes

^ Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 07.05.2003, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia dell’Arcivescovo Metropolita di Guayaquil (Ecuador) e nomina del successore^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)
^ Cf. The Order of Preachers, Biography of Carlos Alfonso Azpiroz Costa O.P. Archived January 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 26.03.2004, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia del Vescovo di Hexham and Newcastle (Inghilterra) e nomina del successore^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)
^ Cf. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, Il Collegio Cardinalizio, Cenni biografici, Herranz Card. Julián (in Italian)
^ Cf. Archdiocese of Louisville, The Archdiocese, Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P. Archived 2007-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
^ Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 29.12.2004, Rinunce e nomine, Nomina del Vescovo di La Crosse (U.S.A.)^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)
^ Cf. The Church in England and Wales, News Release (14 December 1996), Death of Bishop Moverley Archived September 24, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
^ Cf. Catholic University, Office of the President, Biography Archived July 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ Cf. Holy See Press Office, College of Cardinals, Biographical notes, Oddi Card. Silvio Archived February 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
^ Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 26.10.2001, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia dell‘Arcivescovo Metropolita di Cardiff (Galles) e nomina del successore^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)
^ Cf. Holy See Press Office, College of Cardinals, Biographical notes, Vithayathil Card. Varkey, C.SS.R. Archived January 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[1] Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 07.05.2003, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia dell’Arcivescovo Metropolita di Guayaquil (Ecuador) e nomina del successore^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)

[2] Cf. The Order of Preachers, Biography of Carlos Alfonso Azpiroz Costa O.P. Archived January 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[3] Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 26.03.2004, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia del Vescovo di Hexham and Newcastle (Inghilterra) e nomina del successore^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)

[4] Cf. Sala Stampa della Santa Sede, Il Collegio Cardinalizio, Cenni biografici, Herranz Card. Julián (in Italian)

[5] Cf. Archdiocese of Louisville, The Archdiocese, Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P. Archived 2007-09-03 at the Wayback Machine

[6] Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 29.12.2004, Rinunce e nomine, Nomina del Vescovo di La Crosse (U.S.A.)^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)

[7] Cf. The Church in England and Wales, News Release (14 December 1996), Death of Bishop Moverley Archived September 24, 2005, at the Wayback Machine

[8] Cf. Catholic University, Office of the President, Biography Archived July 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[9] Cf. Holy See Press Office, College of Cardinals, Biographical notes, Oddi Card. Silvio Archived February 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[10] Cf. Holy See Press Office, Daily Bulletin of 26.10.2001, Rinunce e nomine, Rinuncia dell‘Arcivescovo Metropolita di Cardiff (Galles) e nomina del successore^{[permanent dead link]} (in Italian)

[11] Cf. Holy See Press Office, College of Cardinals, Biographical notes, Vithayathil Card. Varkey, C.SS.R. Archived January 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

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