Folia Theologica et Canonica 4. 26/18 (2015)
IUS CANONICUM - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi. O.Praem., Interpretation of the Church's discipline without the former sources?
INTERPRETATION OF THE CHURCH’S DISCIPLINE... 265 nedict XVI (2005-2013) - with attention to the CIC and the CCEO - published the revised Orcio Synodi Episcoporum51 on 29lh of September 2006.52 The Second Vatican Council made a similar effect on the occasional bishop conference of the countries” was transformed into a constant consultative body.54 Obviously, the legislator had to have profound dogmatic theological, historical, and - indeed - canonical knowledge for the circumspect preparing of these new institutes. That is why important to know the canonical sources which have arisen prior than 1917 by everyone who likes to interpret either the historical or current canon law material, in order to promote the understanding of the concrete analyzed disciplinary text. Nevertheless, this is the particular reason why the ancient and medieval manuscripts even nowadays have prominent value as indispensable witnesses and intellectual shaping of the universal canon law culture and interpretative horizon, particularly of the ecclesiastical jurisprudence. Likewise the Church’s contemporary life and the its institutional activity are locus histo- ricus for historians; for canon law historians the old law is in strict sense fans, namely an indispensable instrument to understand the law in force in articulate forni which help to get as close as possible to its essential meaning and in the same time discover the doctrinal mystery of the Church. Therefore, the answer for our question what we have in the title (i.e. Interpretation of the Church ’s discipline without the former sources?) must be negative. That interpretation which dispense with the knowledge of earlier ecclesiastical sources while analyzes the current canonical system of norms - including those cases which have been transformed fundamentally, even essentially, within the institutional order - is not able to understand the real and concrete meaning of the canonical regulation. The history of Church’s legislation clearly demonstrates the unbroken requirement that the Church's activity should be bound closely to Christ’s Person and the Apostolic Tradition, which external reprerationes occurrentibus aetatis adiunctis apte compositas. COD 936-937. Guttièrez, J. L„ L'attività normativa delle Conferenze episcopali, in lus in Vita et Missione Ecclesiae, Città del Vaticano 1994. 605-624. 51 AAS 98 (2006) 755-776. 52 Cf. Ghirlanda, G., Il nuovo Ordo Synodi Episcoporum, in Periodica 97 (2008) 3—43. 53 Haering, S., Kanonistische Bemerkungen zur Geschichte der Bischofskonferenz aufgrund des Nachlasses Faulhaher, in Aymans, W. - Geringer, K. T. (Hrsg.), turi Canonico Promovendo, 809-834. 54 Concilium Vaticanum II (1962-1965), Sessio VII (28 oct. 1965), Cap. Ill: De episcopis in commune plurium ecclesiarum honum cooperantibus, 38, 1 - Est episcoporum conferentia ueluti coetus in quo sacrorum antistites cuiusdam nationis uel territorii munus suum pastorale coniun- ctim exercent ad maius bonum, quod hominibus praebet ecclesia, prouehendum, praesertitn per apostolatus formas et rationes occurrentibus aetatis adiunctis apte compositas. COD 936-937. Guttièrez, J. L., L’attività normativa delle Conferenze episcopali, in lus in Vita et Missione Ecclesiae, Città del Vaticano 1994. 605-624.
