Program of Studies

The programme of studies of the licentiate shall be determined together with the Faculty of Oriental Canon Law (DCO Faculty) of Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome (PIO) and approved by the Congregation for Catholic Education (VG Norms art. 30, Instruction on the Aggregation, art. 19 §3). Although the Institute offers specialization in Eastern Canon Law, it will promote a comparative study of both Eastern and Latin laws.

Requirements for Admission

  1. Students who have a bachelor’s degree in theology from an ecclesiastical faculty can be admitted to the second cycle for the licentiate degree (VG art. 32, §§ 1-2; VG Norms art. 26 § 1 n. 2).
  2. Students who successfully completed the philosophical-theological curriculum in a major seminary or in a theological faculty can be admitted immediately into the second cycle, unless the Director deems it necessary or opportune, prior to their admittance, to require that they take a preliminary course in Latin or in the fundamental concepts of canon law (VG Norms art. 62. § 1).
  3. At the time of enrolment of non-Catholic students, the Director of the Institute may approve the courses, which they attended in non-Catholic institutions. If he finds that some fundamental courses in their curriculum are lacking, he shall ask such students to attend those courses at the PVP during the period of their licentiate studies. The attendance of such courses will be a requirement for their licentiate degree (VG art. 44).
  4. Students who, besides, hold an academic degree in Civil Law, may be dispensed from some courses of the second cycle (such as Roman law and Civil Law), but shall not be exempt from the three-year study programme of the second cycle and the two-year propaedeutic course (VG Norms art. 62 §2).
  5. Those who hold a bachelor’s degree, but not in theology, may be admitted to the first cycle of canon law of two years comprising courses in philosophy and theology together with a preliminary course in Latin and introductory courses of Eastern Canon Law (VG art. 78.a, and VG Norms art. 61 n. 1).
  6. Students who prove, if necessary through a test, that they have completed successfully the study of certain required subjects in an appropriate faculty or university, may be dispensed from those courses by the Director, respecting the prescriptions of the Congregation for Catholic Education (VG art. 44).
  7. A student who seeks admission to diploma course should have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university (VG Norms art. 26 §1 n.2).
  8. Guest students seeking admission should present a document showing their eligibility for university studies.
  9. In individual cases, in order to supply for what is wanting in the required formation, the Director may require that the candidate take certain courses even prior to the admission as deemed necessary or opportune (VG art. 32 §1; VG Norms art. 26 §1,n.2).
  10. A degree student cannot be an ordinary student in another faculty.
  11. Permission for being absent from the classes for less than one-third of the courses’ duration shall be sought from the Director.
  12. As regards other requirements for admission, article 23. 2.4 of the Statutes of the PVP will apply.

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Courses and Exercises

The courses are either obligatory or optional.

  1. The principal and auxiliary courses are obligatory.
  2. One seminar is obligatory in each year in both the propaedeutic and the second cycle.
  3. In seminars, under the guidance of a teacher, students exercise themselves in scientific methodology and obtain a forum for group discussion to share the findings of their research.
  4. Students who have not done basic Latin (Morphology and elementary syntax) shall do it in the first year of the second cycle (VG Norms 26 §3).

First Cycle

The first cycle, lasting for four semesters or two years, for those who have no previous training in philosophy or theology, including those who already hold an academic degree in civil law; in this cycle students should study the fundamental concepts of canon law and the philosophical and theological disciplines required for an advanced formation in canon law. Those who complete the course successfully will be conferred an appropriate certificate by the Institute, signed by the Vice-Chancellor, the Moderator, the Director, and the Registrar. To this programme belong the following courses (VG 78.a, VG Norms 61.1, Instruction on the Aggregation, art. 31):

  1. Philosophy Courses: Philosophical Anthropology, Metaphysics, Ethics (VG Norms art. 61. a).
  2. Theology Courses: Introduction to Sacred Scripture; Theology of the NT; Fundamental Theology; Trinitarian Theology; Christology; Divine Grace; Ecclesiology; General and Special Sacramental Theology; Fundamental and Special Moral Theology; Ecumenism (VG Norms art. 61. b).
  3. Canon Law:  Introduction to the Main Titles of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches with special emphasis on Marriage and Trials (VG Norms art. 61. c).
  4. Language: Basic Latin: Morphology and elementary syntax (VG Norms art. 61.d).
  5. Seminars:
    • Main sources of CCEO;
    • Interrelation between CIC and CCEO;
    • Different categories of sui iuris Churches; and
    • Ecumenical character of CCEO.

Second Cycle

The second cycle, which lasts for three years, offers the following courses:

Principal Courses:

  1. The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches divided into various courses covering all the thirty titles;
  2. other canonical norms in force which are common to all the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Auxiliary Courses:

  1. Sacred Canons of the First Millennium
  2. Juridical Methodology
  3. Theology of Law
  4. Philosophy of Law
  5. Introduction to Roman Law
  6. Introduction to Indian Civil Law
  7. The Canonical Sources of the Syro-Malabar Church
  8. The Sources of Eastern Canon Law
  9. Indian Procedural Law
  10. The Role of Tribunal Officials
  1. Code of Particular Law of the Syro-Malabar Church
  2. Law in the life of the Church History of Codification of CCEO
  3. Methodology of Archival Research
  4. Introduction to CIC
  5. Procedures in Causes of Saints
  6. The Hierarchical Institutions in the Eastern Canon Law
  7. Introduction to the Constitutions of India
  8.  Syro-Chaldean law

Optional courses:

The programme of studies presents the following optional courses which may be replaced by others, or new ones may be added at the discretion of the Institute Council. During the licentiate, each degree student shall choose as many optional courses as to obtain at least 15 ECTS.

  1. Canonical Sources of the Syro-Malankara Church
  2. Personal Law in India
  3. Case study on grounds for Nullity of Marriage
  4. Civil law and its application in Canon Law
  5. Introduction to the Ancient Legal Systems in India
  6. Islamic Law
  7. Canon Law of the Eastern Non-Catholic Churches in India

With the permission of the Director, students can attend courses in the MTh section of the PVP. They will be counted as optional courses, and the corresponding credits will be awarded.

Seminars

The programme of studies presents only a few themes for seminars which may be replaced by others, or new ones may be added at the discretion of the Institute Council. Each degree student shall take at least one seminar in each year of the second cycle. Students need permission from the Director to take more than two seminars a year.

  1. Inculturation of Canon Law
  2. Congregation for the Eastern Churches, Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, 1996
  3. Mixed marriage and Disparity of Worship Marriage
  4. CCEO canons on Pastoral Administration and their application in the Syro-Malabar Church
  5. Functioning of the Eparchial Curia
  6. The concept of Particular Law in CCEO
  7. Eucharist: Canonical Sources and Particular Law
  8. Synodal and Statutory sources of the Syro-Malabar Law

Languages:

In addition to Latin and Syriac, which are obligatory, degree students shall choose either Sanskrit or Italian, without limiting the freedom to choose both.

  1. Basic Latin: Morphology and elementary syntax
  2. Basic Latin: Advanced morphology and syntax
  3. Canonical Latin I
  4. Canonical Latin II
  5. Syriac I
  6. Syriac II
  7. Sanskrit (optional)
  8. Italian (optional)

As for semester and final examinations, and the mode of conducting and grading them, the Statutes of the PVP shall be followed mutatis mutandis (PVP Statutes art. 34. 4; 35. 1; 35.6; 41. 7).

In order to complete the Licentiate programme, students have to appear for two comprehensive examinations: one written and the other oral. The written examination will be based on the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches and will last for four hours. The oral examination, which lasts for one hour, will cover topics from the entire Corpus Iuris Canonici before a panel of four examiners (VG Norms, art. 63; Instruction on the Aggregation, art. 34)

The licentiate dissertation shall be submitted to the office of the PVP before the final examinations. For a grave reason, the Director may permit a student to submit it after the said examinations.

Licentiate degree is awarded after three years of specialization in Eastern Canon Law and after completion of the prescribed requirements and submission, acceptance, and defense of a dissertation before the panel of three examiners.