Supreme law of the church

[flick427]

I am looking for a comprehensive resource that would explain to me:
-Ecumenical councils
-Vatican Councils
-Cannon code (law)
-Papal authority (what he can/can not do)
-Papal encylicals
-Precedence of scripture
-Bishops (what they can and can not do)
-US Council of Catholic Bishops (or that of other countries and their purpose)
-Cardinals
-Papal advisors
-Monsingiors (I don’t know hawo to spell this all!)
-Church doctrine (teachings)
-Church Fathers
-Teachings of Doctors of the church and saints
-Priest and their authority
-Chatechism of the Catholic church
I would like to find out what these things (people) are that govern us. What takes precedence over what (of who). And why/when we use them. I am sure there are volumes of this stuff (especially the cannon law). But is there something that goes over it all in a brief and where to find what (comprehensive as I have said). A guide to church hierarchy/organization and history of it would be nice.
Thanks for any guidance.

 

[MrS]

There is a hugh work by Warren Carroll in six volumes… four are available through any Catholic Book Store. It is an exceptional historical record of the Church.

Also, a good Catholic dictionary.

Go to www.ewtn.com and search their library for the specific topics and enjoy… in the many months this could take, make notes, or store what you like on your computer for reference.

Please do not mix your efforts with your hobby - homebrewing… it could cloud your understanding…:bigyikes: :yup:

 

[flick427]

MrS:

Please do not mix your efforts with your hobby - homebrewing… it could cloud your understanding…:bigyikes: :yup:

No problem, I will keep it under control:thumbsup:

Is Warren Carroll strictly a historian or does he go into detail about the above topics?

Do you by any chance know if Cannon law is indeed the “trump card” to everything else and the final authority?

 

[Catholic2003]

Dr. Ed Peters’ website, mywebpages.comcast.net/enpeters/, is a good resource on canon law.

 

[Digitonomy]

flick427:

Do you by any chance know if Cannon law is indeed the “trump card” to everything else and the final authority?

No. The pope is the final authority, in union with the bishops and perpetuating the deposit of faith(scripture and tradition) left to us by the Apostles, and expounded upon by the Doctors and various other scholars, yada yada yada. You get the idea. The pope cannot contradict that which has been established as definitive Church teaching. However, there is a lot of leeway in some cases as to what is really meant by scripture, tradition, etc, and how it should be applied in the Church today. This is where the authority of the pontiff and the Councils comes into play. In most cases that authority is delegated on a day-to-day basis to various congregations and dicasteries.

Also, since it seems to be the main thing you are curious about, keep in mind that canon law, like secular law, is simply a set of rules to help the institution (in this case the Church) run more smoothly. If a pope wanted to do so, he could abolish it all in a day. The Catechism is mostly about faith, canon law is mostly about discipline. But because it is in place, it allows the religious at all levels and the laity to know their rights, responsibilities, and the functioning of the Church.

Code of Canon Law

 

[MrS]

flick427:

No problem, I will keep it under control:thumbsup:

Is Warren Carroll strictly a historian or does he go into detail about the above topics?

Do you by any chance know if Cannon law is indeed the “trump card” to everything else and the final authority?

Warren Carroll is the President, I believe, of Christendom College. I can take a look at some of the topics you mentioned and try to give you some insight. But his works are detailed almost to an extreme… truly a life’s work. Hope he is able to finish the last volumes. They are wonderful for reference… but you would have to be at least interested in the history to call them great reading.

His wife has done some history books that are widely used in the home schooling area… also excellant, and Catholic.

 

[Amadeus]

Flick427:

Your request simply boggles the mind! For the resources are certainly comprehensive, in length and in breath. We are talking about the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church!

As a starter, however, the articles in the on-line Catholic encycopedia at newadvent.com may whet your interest as they provide a precis for each of the topics you posted, although unofficially.

The Codes of Canons (for Latins and for the Eastern Churches), available on the Internet, would give you the organizational set-up of the universal Catholic Church. But be forewarned: the Pope, as Supreme Pontiff, is the supreme executive, judicial, and legislative authority in the Catholic Church! :bowdown2:

The CCC, on the other hand, is an explication of the Catholic faith. It propounds on what Catholics believe. It is a compendium of Catholic beliefs, with scriptural references. :tiphat:

It may take a lifetime, or more, to delve into all of the facts and facets of our Cathoic faith! :yup:

 

[philipmarus]

Warren Carroll is the President, I believe, of Christendom College. I can take a look at some of the topics you mentioned and try to give you some insight. But his works are detailed almost to an extreme… truly a life’s work. Hope he is able to finish the last volumes. They are wonderful for reference… but you would have to be at least interested in the history to call them great reading.

Warren Carroll is a excellent resource. Mr. Carroll has retired from office of President of Christiandom College. I believed he suffered a stroke two or three years ago. There are presently 4 Volumes written in his projected six volume history. They are detailed but also scrupulosuly documented. Which is more than one say of some histories that have axe to grind with the Church. My local Protestant bible College uses Church history textbook almost devoid of footnotes and glosses over 1500 years of Church hisory in under 200 pgs.Caroll’sbooks were a personal favorite of my late father who collected evey history Mr Carroll wrote. I’ve only read the first volume which goes from adam and eve to the time of Contantine. The chapter on Alexander the Great reads like a modern novel. He makes reference to doctrinal issues like letters of Ignatius when discussing the late first century episcopacy but his focus is more on the character of participants. While covering the Old Testament period, he takes issue with modernist critics of the scriptures and frequently marshalls strong evidence in favor of traditional (orthodox) catholic interpretations. The meat of this is in the footnotes. I look forward to reading more in the series.