The 1917 or Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law: in English Translation with Extensive Scholarly Apparatus [Hardcover]

Edward N. Peters (Editor), John J. Myers (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001

Dr. Edward N. Peters Available for the first time in a comprehensive English translation, this thoroughly annotated but easy-to-use presentation of the classic 1917 Code of Canon Law by canon and civil lawyer Dr. Edward Peters is destined to become the standard reference work on this milestone of Church law. More than just of historical interest, the 1917 Code is an indispensable tool for understanding the current 1983 Code under which the Roman Catholic Church governs itself. Dr. Peters' faithful translation of the original Latin text of 1917, along with his detailed references to such key canonical works as Canon Law Digest and hundreds of English language doctoral dissertations on canon law produced at the world's great Catholic universities, now allows researchers to access directly this great fountain of ecclesiastical legal science. No student of canon law, and indeed, no one with a need to understand modern Church administration, can afford to be without this important volume.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 777 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898708311
• ISBN-13: 978-0898708318
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book that Shows Serious Concern for Due Process and "Fair Play", December 25, 2007

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James E. Egolf "James E. Egolf, MA" (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 1917 or Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law: in English Translation with Extensive Scholarly Apparatus (Hardcover)

THE 1917 PIO-BENEDICTINE CODE OF CANON LAW is a comprehensive treatise of Canon Law which focused on Catholic Church administration, legal financial process,legal resposibility of the Catholic clergy, family law, specific due process, etc. While this book dealt with Catholic matters, its importance is reflected in that the Catholic Church's Canon Law was the model for other scientific legal systems such British Common Law and the British and U.S. Constitutional Law.

This book clearly defined what constituted lawful marriage, parent-children relationships, and parental responsibilities. Alert readers can readily see a similarity between Catholic Canon Law and current family law as practised in modern family courts. This part of the book also gives readers an insight regarding Church responsibility and counselling in family affairs.

The Code of Canon Law had clear definitions of criminal culpability regarding the Catholic clergy. Reading these comments again should remind readers of the current criminal due process. There were clear legal definitions of what constituted crime. This part of the book provides legal remedies for prosecution and is clear that one is innocent until proven guilty in a Canon Law Court. There are also excellent comments on financial responsibility and accounting within the Catholic Church while held dignataries such as bishops responsible for their parish and diocesan financial arrangements.

One aspect that this may surprise readers is the metculous concern of due process. This concern is not reflected in the Rules of Evidence, but it is also reflected in the reliability of witnesses and how much weight should be given to witness testimony. Readers can easily compare this concern for due process with modern secular law.

The value of this book is that it gives readers a better understanding of how "law and justice" originated. Due process, legal procedures, attempts at "fair play," etc. originated in the Canon Law, and this book is a good place to find some of the sources. Another useful part of the this book is the bibliography which is extensive. This book is highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and attractive work, November 4, 2009

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P. Krog (Tennessee, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 1917 or Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law: in English Translation with Extensive Scholarly Apparatus (Hardcover)

This work, the only complete English language translation of the 1917 Code, is excellent. Meticulously footnoted with research cross-references, sturdily bound, and attractively typeset, it this book will not only prove an invaluable research tool, but should still be in excellent condition a generation from now. The section headings and other components of the text are clearly demarcated, making browsing easy. My only quibble is that the pages do not have the book and chapter headings along the top of the page as many statutory compilations do. While I have yet to delve into the text at length, I can rest assured, having seen Prof. Peters's commentary elsewhere, that the annotations in this volume will not exude the same dubious skepticism of the prominent Beal-Coriden-Green translation of the 1983 Code. All in all, this work is a sound investment.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Important Canon Law "Scholarly Apparatus", April 24, 2011

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Patricia M. Dugan "Patricia M. Dugan" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 1917 or Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law: in English Translation with Extensive Scholarly Apparatus (Hardcover)

This book is the most important Canon Law reference book for the Catholic Church. In civil law, Legislative History is extremely important and often cited in legal argument. This book gives Canon Law a Legislative History. Canon Law did not evolve in haste, more like tortoise speed. But that makes the milestones even bigger. This book assembles them all. Today, in light of the sexual abuse scandals, there is much discussion over whether the legal system of Canon Law is really a legal system, and, if it is, will it survive the scandal. This book has got to be at the base of any such discussion. This history shows the identity of Canon Law and where it has been. This history will help lead it into the future.

All of this is done for the first time in English. It takes every solid resource available in English and hands them all to Canon Lawyers on one platter! It refers to doctoral dissertations, official interpretations, association documents, and the Canon Law Digest.

The "Curator" of this "Scholarly Appratus", Dr. Edward N. Peters, is both a canon and civil lawyer. The best lawyers are the ones who love the law. In this work, it is evident that Dr. Peters loves both systems of laws. This work is a crowning achievement for him and for the Canon Law of the Catholic Church.