| CODE | PLC3230 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Church Legislation on Marriage | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Pastoral Theology, Liturgy and Canon Law | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The objective of this study-unit is three-fold: (i) to discuss the main principles and norms that regulate the institution of marriage in Catholic canon law; (ii) to present the different procedures adopted by ecclesiastical tribunals in handling cases of marriage nullity (annulment) and marriage dissolution; and (iii) to introduce the students to the Code of Canon Law, the instruction Dignitas Connubii on the handling of marriage nullity cases, and the motu proprio Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus by which certain elements of procedural law were reformed. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) identify the basic elements of matrimonial canon law; (b) outline the key canonical procedures before ecclesiastical tribunals; (c) compare contemporary canon law and civil law with regard to marriage. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) interpret and apply canonical legislations; (b) distinguish between separation, divorce, marriage nullity and dissolution of marriage; (c) analyse cases of annulment or marriage dissolution before ecclesiastical tribunals. Main Texts: - Code of Canon Law - Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Instruction 鈥楧ignitas Connubii鈥�, 2005 - Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio 鈥楳itis Iudex Dominus Iesus鈥�, 2015. Supplementary Readings: - Bajada, J., 鈥淭he canonical process for the declaration of the nullity of marriage in the 1983 Code of Canon Law and the 2005 Instruction 鈥楧ignitatis Conubii鈥欌��, in Id-Dritt 20 (2009) 232-291 - Beal, J.P., 鈥淢itis Iudex Canons 1671-1682 1688-1691: A commentary鈥�, in The Jurist 75/2 (2015) 467-529. - Beal, J.P. 鈥� Coriden, J.A. 鈥� Green, T.J., New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, 2000 - Coriden, J.A., An introduction to canon law (Revised), 2004 - Hendriks, J., Diritto matrimoniale. Commenti ai canoni 1055-1165 del Codice di diritto canonico, 1999 - Kowal, W. - Woestman, W.H., Special marriage cases and procedures, 2011 - Ludicke, K. 鈥� Jenkins, R.E., Dignitas Connubii. Norms and commentary, 2006 - Wrenn, L.G., The invalid marriage, 1998. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Kevin Schembri |
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The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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