Folia Theologica et Canonica, Supplementum (2016)
Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem, Canon Law Institute in Budapest (1996-2016)
CANON LAW INSTITUTE IN BUDAPEST (1996-2016) 9 humble, wise, experienced - including his knowledge of the Roman Curia and of the codification - and fraternal pedagogical style gave that atmosphere for the first generations of canon law students which never can be forgotten. Peter Erdő and Policarp F. Zakar laid down those instructional and research principles of the Canon Law Institute “ad instar facultatis” which transformed it a unique place to study and to do scholarly work on excellent high level for the good of the Church. The first foreign professors who improved this particular atmosphere were Jose Carlos M. Errazuriz, Carl Gerold Fiirst, Michael Hilbert S.J., Bruno Primetshofer, and Heinz-Meinolf Stamm. Nevertheless, must be mention here the first Hungarian professors - beside Peter Erdő and Policarp F. Zakar - who had just arrived back to Hungary to fulfill that goal which was precisely schemed by Peter Erdő: Peter Antalóczy O.P., Katalin Hársfai, Géza Kuminetz, György Lefkánits, Balázs Schanda, and Peter Szabó; then Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem. in 1999. When the institute has begun to grow, arranging international and Hungarian conference days, it was able to conclude into the congress of the Consociatio Internationalis Studio luris Canonici Promovendo XI and the Società per il Diritto delle Chiese Orientali XV between September 2nd and 7lh 2001, under the title: Territorialità e personalità nel diritto canonico e ecclesiastico. Il diritto canonico di fronte al terzo millenio. Then into the XIII International Congress of Medieval Canon Law between August 3rd and 8'h 2008. Since these extraordinary events the Canon Law Institute “ad instar facultatis” at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University has improved a lot. The number of our own new teachers (Elmar Gfithoff, Philipp Gudenus, Csaba Szilágyi, Péter Artner), international relations and visitor professors are rapidly developing in every year, which is also true about our joined research projects, conferences, scientific organizations, which are testified well our International Canon Law History Research Center which was erected in 2013, and has been joined by the best scholars throughout the world in 2014 with rich research programs, instructional and conference plans. We are pleased to have José Tomás Martin de Agar as our honorary doctor, and we frequently pray for the late Urbano Navarrete, S.J. and Bronislaw Wenanty Zubert, OFM who had received also this scientific recognition from our university. It is a real benefit that our current professor team - following the example of our first professors of 1996 - can keep a vivid and profitable scholarly relations with our colleagues around the whole world (Card. Peter Erdő, Peter Szabó, Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem.), particularly with our fellow professors in Rome, Madrid, Pamplona and Munich (e.g., Janusz Kowal, S.J.; Bruno Esposito, O.P.; Nicolas Álvarez de las Asturias; Joaquín Sedano; Jose Miguel Viejo-Ximénez; Helmuth Pree; Stephan Haering, O.S.B).
