Doctor of Canon Law

Updated on Oct 25, 2023

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Doctor of Canon Law (Latin: Juris Canonici Doctor; J.C.D.) is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges.

It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. (Iuris Canonici Doctor), ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. (Doctor of Canon Law). Doctor of both laws (i.e. canon and civil) are J.U.D. (Juris Utriusque Doctor), or U.J.D. (Utriusque Juris Doctor).

A doctorate in canon law normally requires at least two years of additional study and the development and defense of an original dissertation that contributes to the development of canon law after having earned the degree Licentiate of Canon Law. Only pontifical universities and 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 the study of which is normally the graduate level bachelor of sacred theology (S.T.B.), a master of divinity (M.Div.), a Master of Arts in Roman Catholic theology (M.A.), or a civil law degree (J.D. or LL.B.) and a bachelor degree in canon law (J.C.B.) or its relative equivalent.

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

Members of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, Auditors of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, judicial vicars, ecclesiastical judges, defenders of the bond, and promoters of justice, must possess either a doctorate or license in canon law. Either of the degrees is recommended for those who serve as vicar general or 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.

The Roman Church has the oldest continuously used homogenous legal system in the world. Following the Gregorian Reform's emphasis on canon law, bishops formed cathedral schools to train the clergy in canon law. Consequently, many of the medieval universities of Europe founded faculties of canon law (e.g., Cambridge and Oxford). Since the Protestant Reformation, however, they became limited to those universities which retained Catholic faculties (e.g., Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Gregorian University, Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Canon Law "S. Pio X" in Venice). Other Catholic universities with ecclesiastical faculties in canon law were subsequently given the ability to grant the degree (e.g., The Catholic University of America, University of Saint Paul). The University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, has been awarding the degree since 1734.

Noted Doctors of Canon Law

Antonetti, Lorenzo, President emeritus of Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See

Arregui Yarza, Antonio, 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)

Juan Ignacio Arrieta, Archbishop, Secretary of Pontifical Council of Legislative Texts

Azpiroz Costa, Carlos Alfonso, O.P., former Master of the Order of Preachers: awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Benedict XV, Pope

Bertone, Tarcisio, Cardinal Secretary of State and Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church

Bevilacqua, Anthony, Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia (United States)

Bovone, Alberto, Cardinal, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints: awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Brady, Seán, Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh (Ireland)

Burke, Raymond Leo, Cardinal Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Missouri, and Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin (USA)

Cafardi, Nicholas P., Dean emeritus and Professor of Law of the Duquesne University School of Law (USA): awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Caffarra, Carlo, Cardinal, Archbishop of Bologna (Italy)

Castrillón Hoyos, Darío, Cardinal, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei

Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a heliocentric model of the universe which placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center. Received degree 31 May 1503 (Jure Canonico ... et doctoratus)

Monsignor Joseph Devlin, Assistant Professor of Religion, La Salle University

Dunn, Kevin John, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (England): awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Egan, Edward, Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of New York (USA)

Felici, Angelo, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei

Ferme Brian Edwin, Dean of Canon Law Faculty in Venice: Awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law in Rome, and a Doctorate in Medieval History in Oxford.

Gänswein, Georg, monsignor, private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI

Heim, Bruno Bernard, late Titular Archbishop of Xanthus, Apostolic Nuncio emeritus to Great Britain, prominent armorists of twentieth century ecclesiastical heraldry

Herranz, Julián, Cardinal, President emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts: awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Keeler, William, Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore (USA)

Kelly, Thomas Cajetan O.P., Archbishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky (USA): awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Lazzarotto, Giuseppe, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia

Listecki, Jerome Edward, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, formerly Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois (USA): awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Lyndwood, William

McCarthy, Edward A., Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida, and namesake of Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Migliore, Celestino Archbishop, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland and formerly the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer, Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations

Moverley, Gerald, Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hallam (England): awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

David M. O'Connell, C.M., Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey, and President Emeritus of the Catholic University of America: awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America

Oddi, Silvio, Cardinal, Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy: awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

Paprocki, Thomas, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois

Paul VI, Pope: awarded Doctorate in Canon Law from the University of Milan

Smith, Peter, 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)

Peters, Edward N., Catholic University of America, 1991

Polti Santillán, Francisco, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santiago del Estero (Argentina)

Re, Giovanni Battista, Cardinal, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Rossi, Bernard P.H., Priest of Saint Michael's Parish in Burnaby, British Columbia (Archdiocese of Vancouver)

Sodano, Angelo, Cardinal Secretary emeritus of State

Symeon Metropolitan, Russian Orthodox Church in America

Tauran, Jean-Louis, Cardinal, President of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue

Torfs, Rik, Professor of Canon Law at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Senator in the Belgian Senate, Rector of the University in Leuven.

Vithayathil, Mar Varkey C.Ss.R., Cardinal, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly (India): awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)

References

Doctor of Canon Law Wikipedia

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