Folia Theologica et Canonica 9. 31/23 (2020)
Recensions
RECENSIONS 347 Frankfurt am Main 2002; Kirchenrecht im mittelalterlichen Ungarn. Gesammelte Studien [Aus Religion und Recht 3], Berlin 2005; Storia déllé fonti del diritto canonico [Istituto di Diritto Canonico San Pio X, Manuali 2], Venezia 2008). Moreover, he published the handbook of the present canon law system of the Catholic Church in Hungarian (i.e. 1992; 19962; 20033; 20054; 20 1 45). Card. Péter Erdő’s new book (which fits into the series dedicated to the 10,h [Az élő Egyház joga, Szent István Társulat, Budapest 2006] and 20,h [Jog az Egyház hagyományában és életében, Szent István Társulat, Budapest 2016] anniversary of the Canon Law Institute of Budapest). These volumes contain well-elaborated scientific analyses on the contemporary most important ecclesiological and disciplinary questions. The Author deals with the current canon law and its canon law historical crystallization process, but also looking for the precise and circumspect answer of relevant opened scientific questions, according to the normative disciplinary tradition of the Church. The chapters have been composed and collected based on a unified contexture. This work which was done in this way, reviews the issues of the fundamental concepts, researches, and rules of canon law (pp. 21-86); the relation of Church and state (pp. 89-163); sources of canon law from different epochs and from different geographical location, and the day-to-day application of these in the Church (pp. 167-269), the relation-system of the priesthood and the local ecclesial community (pp. 273-371), and of the situation of the catholic education and pedagogy, presenting the characteristics and development of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University (pp. 375-401). It is hard to say nowadays about anyone, that he or she can make significant scholarly work - which essentially enriches the scientific research - in every field of one particular science in the 20th or 21st century. Nevertheless, observing that “panorama” of articles which have taken place in this volume, must be said about Professor Erdő: he is among the few who are capable to do this on the highest level. The Author intended originally to explain the opened canonical questions with different purposes, which were formed into articles, interpretative commentaries or even conference presentations. However, the common horizon can be found in every form of scholarly analysis, which means the sensibility for the serious canonical scientific question, together with loyalty to the teaching of the Magisterium of the Church, including the following of her doctrinal and disciplinary statements. I would like to select particularly four main - most timeous - themes from the volume, which represents the “spine” of the entire work: necessity of discretion and of the principles of the concrete case within ecclesiastical legislation, application of law, and in the exercise of the ecclesial governing authority; meanings of synodality (especially about the definition of the “soul of presbitérium” and the circumspect explanation of the theological basis of the bishops’ conference); listing the conditions to receive any degree of the Holy Order, in the light of the serious responsibility
