ABOUT THE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME SPEAKERS
Canon Law Section of the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb – Accomplishments and Challenges
Presentation by Assoc. Prof. Lucija Boljat, PhD and Josip Horvat lic. theol. and lic. can. iur.
The tradition of canon law science and education in Croatia has a long history. It has been systematically present already since the Middle Ages, when Stephen II Babonić, Bishop of Zagreb (1227-1247), established a philosophical-theological study programme in Zagreb. The Canon Law Section was founded for the first time within the Jesuit Academy of Zagreb in 1726/1727. Since then, it has been a part of the Faculty of Theology to this day. The Canon Law Section achieved a particular importance and momentum after the Croatian Parliament proclaimed on 13 January 1874 the Legal Articles on the Establishment of the University of Francis Joseph I in Zagreb, whereby four faculties were established within the framework of the modern Croatian university: Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Philosophy, and Faculty of Medicine.
With a short overview of the historical development of the Canon Law Section as an organisational unit for teaching and research at the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb from 1874 to date, the focus of the presentation is an analysis of the scientific, teaching and professional activities of the Section since the promulgation of the valid Code of Canon Law. Through the efforts and initiatives of the members of the Canon Law section, throughout the years there has been a recognised international and domestic scientific contribution in the form of participation in as well as (co-)organisation of scientific and professional conferences. Projects of great importance for the Croatian language area have been the translation and publication of the first Latin-Croatian edition of the Code of Canon Law in 1983, without sources (printed in 1988), with sources (printed in 1996); the translation and publication of the 1991 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, with sources (printed in 1996); publication of the whole translation of the 1917 Code of Cannon Law as translated from Latin into Croatian by Franjo Herman, PhD (printed in 2007); publication of the whole translation of the 1917 Code of Canon Law as translated from Latin into Croatian by Josip Pazman, PhD (printed in 2014). The scientific contribution of the members of the Canon Law Section was intensified following the establishment of a professional association that gathers Croatian-speaking ecclesiastical lawyers (Croatian Canon Law Society) as well as publishes and edits collections of papers in the legal field (Studia canonical croatica).
The Canon Law Sectio pays particular attention to the classes and study of canon law at the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb and beyond in the sense of reforming and reorganising the existing and new contents and courses (particularly elective courses, seminars and exercises) as well as a regular and good communication with the students, where the Section website is also of great help.
The Canon Law Section promotes various institutional projects, the current one being the Agreements between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia. Along with the regular activities of the Section, the professional activities of its members are also of significant importance – translation of acts of general application, providing opinions and expertise for various ecclesiastical and state institutions and authorities (e.g. for the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia).
Key words: University of Zagreb, Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb, Canon Law Section, scientific activity, teaching activity, professional activity.
