In the history of

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, the decretalists of the thirteenth century formed a school of interpretation that emphasised the

decretals Decretals ( la, litterae decretales) are letters of a pope that formulate decisions in ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church.McGurk. ''Dictionary of Medieval Terms''. p. 10 They are generally given in answer to consultations but are sometimes ...

, those letters issued by the

Popes The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

ruling on matters of church discipline (''epistolae decretales''), in preference to the ''

Decretum Gratiani The ''Decretum Gratiani'', also known as the ''Concordia discordantium canonum'' or ''Concordantia discordantium canonum'' or simply as the ''Decretum'', is a collection of canon law compiled and written in the 12th century as a legal textbook b ...

'' (1141), which their rivals, the

decretists In the history of canon law, a decretist was a student and interpreter of the ''Decretum Gratiani''. Like Gratian, the decretists sought to provide "a harmony of discordant canons" (''concordia discordantium canonum''), and they worked towards this ...

, favoured.Rhidian Jones, ''The Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England: A Handbook'' (T&T Clark, 2000), 45–46. The decretalists were early compilers of the papal decretals, and their work, such as that of

Simon of Bisignano Simon of Bisignano was a teacher of canon law in Bologna in the 1170s. He composed a ''Summa'' on the Decretum Gratiani between March 1177 and March 1179. Like Paucapalea, he, too, might have been a student of Gratian (jurist), Gratian himself.J.F ...

(''c''. 1177), was used by the dominant decretist school."Decretalist", ''

New Catholic Encyclopedia The ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'' (NCE) is a multi-volume reference work on Roman Catholic history and belief edited by the faculty of The Catholic University of America. The NCE was originally published by McGraw-Hill in 1967. A second edition, ...

'' (Gale, 2002). The decretalist practice can be divided into three periods. The first (''c''. 1160–1200) is characterised by the collection of decretals; the second (''c''. 1200–1234) by the organisation of the collections and the first signs of decretal exegesis; and the final (1234–1348) by extensive exegesis and analysis. Important early decretalists include

Bernard of Pavia Bernardus Papiensis (pre-1150 – 18 September 1213) was an Italian canonist and bishop of the Christian Church. Born at Pavia, he studied law and theology at Bologna under Gandulphus and Faventinus. Later, he was provost of the cathedral of P ...

, who wrote the ''Summa Decretalium'', the ''Summa de Matrimonio'' and the ''Brevarium Extravagantium'', and

Henry of Susa Henry of Segusio, usually called Hostiensis, (c. 1200 – 6 or 7 November 1271) was an Italian canonist of the thirteenth century, born at Susa (Segusio), in the ancient Diocese of Turin. He died at Lyon. Life He undertook the study of Roman law ...

, whose ''Summa Copiosa'' melded canon law with

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (c. 449 BC), to the ''Corpus Juris Civilis'' (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor J ...

and was influential into modern times. File:Bernardus Papiensis – Breviarium extravagantium, 1779 – BEIC 13873566.jpg,

Bernardus Papiensis Bernardus Papiensis (pre-1150 – 18 September 1213) was an Italian canonist and bishop of the Christian Church. Born at Pavia, he studied law and theology at Bologna under Gandulphus and Faventinus. Later, he was provost of the cathedral of P ...

, ''Breviarium extravagantium'', 1779

Notes

{{Reflist Medieval law Canon law jurists Canon law history Canon law codifications