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... 259 cause the structure of the Code made it necessary, this exegetical method was supplied with the systematic analysis of canon law, moreover, they explained several cases in order to give practical enlightening to understanding of the contents and context of canons. This official form of the exegetical method was therefore much more advanced than its original version and it involved every benefit of the three other technics of interpretation. It was especially useful regarding those cases which had received certain direction by Dicasteries of the Roman Curia.26 The Sacred Congregation for Education had prescribed in a decree on August IT6 1917, that reflecting on CIC (1917) Can. 256, the canon law subject should be thought based on the structure of the Code at every canon law faculty or other higher educational institute. The same Congregation obligatory and expressively ordered the advanced form of the exegetical method as scientific method for instruction and interpretation by a new decree on October 3T' 1918. This involved the interpretation of the Code based on literary and contextual meaning of its words, moreover gave attention to the systematic order of canons. It has been supplied with further explanation by the historical background and sources every single canon, illustrated them numerous cases. During the instruction the master had to focus on the proper explanation of the concrete canon’s aim and to prepare sufficiently the scholar that he could be ready to interpret and applicate the already analyzed and understood canon in the future among any and every circumstances. Besides the two congregational decrees, further disciplinary improvement was given by the Pascerteli Encyclical letter on April 27lh 1927, which obligatory prescribed for the theological and canonical academic degrees the propaedeutic scholastic philosophical studies at the ecclesiastical faculties.27 Pius XI (1922-1939) had expressed again in his Constitution Deus scientiarum Dominus, on May 24lh 1931 that before the first academic degree in canon law should be completed the basic philosophical and theological studies. The “Ordinationes” which was added to the Constitution made also obligatory the canon law subject as indispensable main course - explaining the entire ecclesiastical disciplinary system — within the theological formation (i.e. instruction of the Sacred Congregation for Education and Seminaries on June 12"' 1931 ).28 Thanks to the new mentioned legislation and the exegetical interpretation several useful commented editions of the Code of Canon Law had been published for scholarly and jurisprudential practice.29 28 Cicognani, A.G., Canon Law (I. Introduction to the Study of Canon Law; II. History of the Sources of Canon Law; III. A Commentary on Book I of the Code), Philadelphia 1935. 56-59. 27 A AS 19(1927) 194. 28 SC Stud, Instr. (12 iun. 1931), arts. 26-27: A AS 23 (1931) 270. 29 Cf. SzUROMI, Sz. A., Az egyházjogi oktatás és kutatás a Pesti Egyetem szemináriumi rendszerének létrejöttétől, in Studia dedicata seminariis universitatis. Tanulmányok az. egyetemi szemináriumokról (Bibliotheca Iuridica, Miscellanea 19), Budapest 2006. 140-148.
