Doctor of Canon Law ( la, Juris Canonici Doctor, JCD) is the doctoral-level

terminal degree A terminal degree is a college degree that is the highest level college degree that can be achieved and awarded in a specific academic or professional field. In other cases, it is a degree that is awarded when a candidate completes a certain amou ...

in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges. It may also be abbreviated ICD or dr.iur.can. (''Iuris Canonici Doctor''), ICDr, DCL, DCnl, DDC, or DCanL (''Doctor of Canon Law''). A doctor of both laws (i.e. canon and civil) is a JUD (''Juris Utriusque Doctor'') or UJD (''Utriusque Juris Doctor'').

Course of study

A doctorate in canon law normally requires earning the degree Licentiate of Canon Law, then at least two years of additional study and the development and defence of an original dissertation that contributes to the development of canon law. Only a pontifical university or ecclesiastical faculties of canon law may grant the doctorate or licentiate in canon law. The Licentiate of Canon Law is a three-year degree. The prerequisite for it is normally the graduate-level

Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus; abbreviated STB), not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Lic ...

(STB) degree, a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree, or a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. ...

(MA) degree in Roman Catholic theology. While not a civil law degree, the doctor of canon law is in some ways comparable to the

Doctor of Juridical Science A Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD; ), or a Doctor of Science of Law (JSD; ), is a research doctorate in law equivalent to the more commonly awarded Doctor of Philosophy degree. Australia The S.J.D. is offered by the Australian National Univ ...

(JSD) or

doctor of laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ( ...

(LLD) in terms of the nature of study, as they are terminal academic research degrees as opposed to professional degrees.

Ecclesiastical office prerequisite

Members of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, Auditors of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota,

judicial vicar In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar or episcopal official ( la, links=no, officialis) is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court. Although the diocesan bishop can reserv ...

s, ecclesiastical judges, defenders of the bond, and promoters of justice, must possess either a doctorate or licence in canon law. Either of the degrees is recommended for those who serve as

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

or episcopal vicar in a diocese. Candidates for

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

must either possess the doctorate in canon law or the doctorate in sacred theology or be truly expert in one of those fields. Canonical advocates must possess the doctorate or be truly expert.

History

The Roman Church has the oldest continuously used homogeneous legal system in the world. Following the

Gregorian Reform The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...

's emphasis on canon law,

bishops A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

formed cathedral schools to train the clergy in canon law. Consequently, many of the

medieval universities A medieval university was a corporation organized during the Middle Ages for the purposes of higher education. The first Western European institutions generally considered to be universities were established in present-day Italy (including ...

of Europe founded faculties of canon law (e.g.,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...

and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

). Since the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, however, they became limited to those universities which retained Catholic faculties (e.g., Pontifical Lateran University, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Gregorian University, Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Canon Law "S. Pio X" in Venice). Other Catholic universities with ecclesiastical faculties in canon law were subsequently given the ability to grant the degree (e.g., the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U. ...

School of Canon Law The School of Canon Law is the only faculty of Catholic canon law in the United States. It is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.University of Saint Paul). The

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Mig ...

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, has been awarding the degree since 1734.

Noted Doctors of Canon Law

* Lorenzo Antonetti, President Emeritus of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See *

Antonio Arregui Yarza Antonio Arregui Yarza (born June 3, 1939 in Oñate) is the Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Guayaquil Ecuador. Yarza is an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas ''Angelicum'' in Rome where he earned Doctorate in ca ...

Metropolitan Archbishop Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a ty ...

of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * Carlos Azpiroz Costa, former Master of the Order of Preachers; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') *

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Ecclesiastical Latin, Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his deat ...

, pope *

Tarcisio Bertone Tarcisio Pietro Evasio Bertone (born 2 December 1934) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church and a Vatican diplomat. A cardinal, he served as Archbishop of Vercelli from 1991 to 1995, as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine o ...

, Cardinal Secretary of State Emeritus * Anthony Bevilacqua, cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, United States * Alberto Bovone, cardinal, Prefect-Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') *

Seán Brady Seán Brady or similar names may refer to: *Seán Brady (bishop) (born 1939), Irish cardinal and former archbishop of Armagh *Sean Brady (fighter) (born 1992), American mixed martial artist * Seán Brady (Teachta Dála) (1890–1969), Fianna Fáil p ...

, Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland *

Raymond Leo Burke Raymond Leo Burke (born June 30, 1948) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. A bishop, cardinal, and the incumbent patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, he led the Archdiocese of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008 and the Dioce ...

, Cardinal Prefect - Emeritus of the

Apostolic Signatura The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura () is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church (apart from the pope himself, who as supreme ecclesiastical judge is the final point of appeal for any ecclesiastical judgment). In additio ...

, Archbishop Emeritus of Saint Louis,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, and Bishop Emeritus of La Crosse,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States * Carlo Caffarra, cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Bologna, Italy * Darío Castrillón Hoyos, cardinal, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission ''Ecclesia Dei'' *

Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic canon, who formulat ...

, mathematician and

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either o ...

of the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

, formulated a

heliocentric Heliocentrism (also known as the Heliocentric model) is the astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around the Sun at the center of the universe. Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism, which placed the Earth ...

model of the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. A ...

; received degree 31 May 1503 (''Jure Canonico ... et doctoratus'') *

Kevin John Dunn The Right Reverend Kevin John Dunn (9 July 1950 – 1 March 2008) was the twelfth Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Early life Kevin John Dunn was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire on 9 July 1950 and educated at St Mary's ...

, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, England; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * Edward Egan, cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of New York, United States *

Angelo Felici Angelo Felici J.C.D. (26 July 1919, Segni – 17 June 2007, Rome) was an Italian Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church and President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. Before this role he served as the Prefect of the Congregation ...

, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission ''Ecclesia Dei'' * Georg Gänswein, Archbishop,

Prefect of the Papal Household The Prefecture of the Papal Household is the office in charge of the Papal Household, a section of the Roman Curia that comprises the Papal Chapel (''Cappella Pontificia'') and the Papal Family (''Familia Pontificia''). The current Prefect of th ...

, private secretary to Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI * Pietro Gasparri, cardinal, Holy See Secretary of State, codifier of the

1917 Code of Canon Law The 1917 ''Code of Canon Law'' (abbreviated 1917 CIC, from its Latin title ), also referred to as the Pio-Benedictine Code,Dr. Edward Peters accessed June-9-2013 was the first official comprehensive codification of Latin canon law. Ordered ...

* Bruno Heim, late

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In ...

of Xanthus,

Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

Emeritus to Great Britain, prominent armorist of twentieth-century

ecclesiastical heraldry Ecclesiastical heraldry refers to the use of heraldry within Christianity for dioceses, organisations and Christian clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses. It ...

* Julián Herranz Casado, cardinal, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * William Keeler, Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore, United States *

Thomas C. Kelly Thomas Cajetan Kelly (July 14, 1931 – December 14, 2011) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A member of the Dominican Order, Kelley served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville in Kentucky from 1982 until his retire ...

, Archbishop Emeritus of Louisville,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

, United States; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia * Jerome Edward Listecki,

Archbishop of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwauk ...

, and formerly Bishop of La Crosse, Wisconsin; Auxiliary Bishop of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 an ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

, United States; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * William Lyndwood, English Bishop of St Davids, diplomat and canonist, most notable for the publisher of The ''Provinciale'' * Mary McAleese, President of Ireland 1997 - 2011 * Edward A. McCarthy, Archbishop Emeritus of Miami,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

, and namesake of

Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School , motto_translation = To abide in the love of Christ. , accreditation = Southern Association of Colleges and Schools , rival = Monsignor Edward Pace High School St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) , mascot = , ...

Ft. Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, Florida, United States * Celestino Migliore, archbishop,

Apostolic Nuncio to Poland The Apostolic Nuncio to Poland is one of the oldest nuncios, appointed by the Pope as apostolic representative to the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. Three nuncios to Poland went on to be elected pope. Three were cardinals at the time of their ...

and formerly the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer, Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations *

Gerald Moverley Gerald Moverley (9 April 1922 - 14 December 1996) was the first Bishop of the Diocese of Hallam in Yorkshire from 30 May 1980 until July 1996 when he resigned due to ill health. Born in Bradford, England, Gerald Moverley was ordained priest ...

, Bishop Emeritus of Hallam, England; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') *

David M. O'Connell David Michael O'Connell (born April 21, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Trenton in New Jersey since 2010. He is a member of the Congregation of the Mission and a past presid ...

, Bishop of Trenton,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

, United States, and President Emeritus of the

; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America * Silvio Oddi, cardinal, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * Thomas Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield, Illinois, United States *

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

, pope; awarded Doctorate in Canon Law from the

University of Milan The University of Milan ( it, Università degli Studi di Milano; la, Universitas Studiorum Mediolanensis), known colloquially as UniMi or Statale, is a public university, public research university in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest uni ...

* Peter Smith, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, Wales; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'') * Edward N. Peters, referendary of the

; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Catholic University of America

Dean of the College of Cardinals The dean of the College of Cardinals ( la, Decanus Collegii Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalium) presides over the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, serving as ''primus inter pares'' (first among equals). The position was establi ...

* Angelo Sodano, Emeritus Dean of the College of Cardinals * Jean-Louis Tauran, cardinal, former President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue * Rik Torfs, professor of Canon Law at Catholic University of Leuven, former senator for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party in the Belgian Senate, former rector of the Catholic University of Leuven * Mar Varkey Vithayathil, cardinal,

Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly The Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church is the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church within the Catholic Church, and the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamalay in Kerala, Indi ...

, India; awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law by the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (''Angelicum'')Cf
Holy See Press Office, ''College of Cardinals, Biographical notes, Vithayathil Card. Varkey, C.SS.R.''

Footnotes

{{reflist Canon Law, Doctor Law degrees Academic canon law * Religious degrees