Church Governance (J.C.L.)

Program Overview

The Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.) in Church Governance studies how authority is structured and exercised in the church. Every diocese runs on canonical offices — bishop, vicars, chancellor, finance officer, pastors — and on bodies that must be consulted before certain decisions can be taken. A decision taken by the wrong person, or without the consent or advice the law requires, may be invalid however good its purpose. This specialization trains the canonist who keeps a diocese's governance lawful and its decisions secure. Students study the hierarchical constitution of the church: the Roman Pontiff and the college of bishops, the synod of bishops, and the Roman Curia under the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium of 2022; particular churches and their groupings, ecclesiastical provinces, and episcopal conferences; the diocesan bishop and his legislative, executive, and judicial power; the diocesan curia, vicars general and episcopal vicars, the chancellor, the finance council and finance officer, the presbyteral council and the college of consultors, and the pastoral council. The parish follows: its erection, its pastor and parochial vicars, the participation of deacons and lay faithful in pastoral care, and the parish councils. Juridic persons, ecclesiastical offices, and the rules for acts that need consent or counsel bind the subject together. Graduates serve as chancellors, curial officials, advisers to bishops and religious superiors, and consultants to parishes, schools, and agencies that need to know who can decide what. The licentiate thesis addresses one governance question — the role of the college of consultors during a vacancy, lay participation in the exercise of pastoral care, or the representation of a parish in civil law — through the Code and the practice of the church.

Core Courses

• JCL 701 — General Norms and the Sources of Canon Law (6 credits)
• JCL 712 — The Supreme Authority and the Universal Church (6 credits)
• JCL 723 — The Diocese and Its Bishop (6 credits)
• JCL 734 — The Diocesan Curia and Consultative Bodies (6 credits)
• JCL 745 — Parishes and Pastors (6 credits)
• JCL 760 — Canonical Latin and Legal Method (6 credits)
• JCL 790 — Licentiate Thesis in Church Governance (12 credits)

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in canon law, or a master's degree in theology, ministry, or law with the canonical foundations completed during the program
• Experience in parish, chancery, tribunal, religious institute, or church administration
• Statement of purpose naming the canonical field chosen and the service it will support
• Reading knowledge of Latin, or willingness to develop it during the first year of study
• Current curriculum vitae or ministry profile
• Official transcripts from prior institutions when available
• Letter of support from a bishop, religious superior, or employer when requested