Folia Theologica et Canonica 1. 23/15 (2012)
RECENSIONS
292 RECENSIONS SzuROMi, Sz. A., Medieval Canon Law - Sources and Theory - (Bibliotheca Instituti Postgradualis Iuris Canonici Universitatis Catholicae de Petro Pázmány nominatae III/12), Szent István Társulat, Budapest 2009. pp.226 “Anyone, who likes to understand the particular milieu of the medieval Church and her discipline, should remind for the famous work of St. Augustine, i.e. De civitate Dei (The City of God).” These words open that English volume which is dedicated to the description of the medieval canonical thinking, science and disciplinary sources by Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem (9). Prof. Szuromi is the President of the Catholic University of Budapest and also Chairman of the Canon Law Institute “ad instar facultatis” whose fundamental medieval canon law source, institute and science history researches are remarkable, but he is very active teacher of several Hungarian, European and American universities since 2000. This particular volume is a systematical summary of the author’s researches which were done between 2000 and 2009. Prof. Szuromi’s work can be distributed into thirteen chapters which are in close correlation based on their contents. These chapters analyze in detailed form the importance of the councils of Toledo (15-25); speak about the ecclesiastical sources which aim to promote the Latin culture of the clergy in the early lllh century (26-35); describe the peculiarities of the Biblical sources in the medieval canonical collections between the 9th and 12th centuries (36—46); explain the characters of the juridical personality of monasteries as communities of persons up to the 13,h century (47-57); explain precisely the contents of canonical rules concerning bishops in the Collectio Dionysio-Hadriana (58- 70), in the Decretales Pseudo-Isidorianae (71-82), in the Collectio Canonum Anselmi Lucensis (83-98), and also about the composition of the textual families of the canonical collection of St. Ivo of Chartres (99-127). Prof. Szuromi deals independently with the peculiarity of clerical rights and obligations in the epoch of the 11,h— 12th century. For this unique analysis he uses again many canonical collections which have made enduring effect on discipline of the Church (128-143). The Fourth Lateran Council (a. D. 1215) can be named landmark in many senses within the history of the Catholic theological thinking, but in the canon law history too. Therefore the single decisions, constitutions, sources, doctrinal (dogmatic theological) and disciplinary principles of this council, moreover its historical background and the history of the council’s effects are extraordinary important. It could be the reason why the author of this volume dedicates particular attention of this question (144-161). The sacramental preparation for death was one of the central questions of the Sessions of the Second Lyon Council (a. D. 1274) which gave a crystal clear dogmatic and canonical definition of this problem. This well balanced and considered judgment of this council was able to transmit the teaching of Church
