Governance & Canon Law

Unit overview and content

This unit provides opportunities for students to develop a foundational knowledge and understanding of governance in Catholic Church organisations. Theoretical insights from selected organisational research will be explored for their relevance to the variety of ways in which governance is exercised in the Church’s different contexts and organisational arrangements.  In particular it will focus on the relationship between governance, mission, ministry and work.

Assumed Knowledge 

N/A

Study hours   

10 hours per week for 12 week session, comprised of

• At least one hour per week for online lectures
• At least three hours per week of reading.
• At least six hours per week of directed study, including optional and assessable online activities.

Lecturers

Br John Henry Thornber cfc

Mr Michael Thornber

Teaching methods

Online lectures; online activities; guided reading; scaffolded assessments; feedback on assessments.

Indicative Assessment

At the Institute we use a range of assessment tasks, including essays, research papers, online posts, critical reflections, projects and praxis exercises. Within a unit of study each set of assessment tasks is designed as an integral part of your learning experience. These tasks vary across units and programs. All assessment tasks are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework level appropriate for graduate awards.

Unit overview and content

This unit provides opportunities for students to develop a foundational knowledge and understanding of Canon Law. The fundamental principles of Canon Law, as well as its application, are studied in various Catholic Church organisations and contexts.

Assumed Knowledge 

N/A

Study hours    

10 hours per week for 12 week session, comprised of

• At least one hour per week for online lectures
• At least three hours per week of reading.
• At least six hours per week of directed study, including optional and assessable online activities.

Lecturer

Rev Matthew Muller

Teaching methods

Online lectures; online activities; guided reading; scaffolded assessments; feedback on assessments.

Indicative Assessment

At the Institute we use a range of assessment tasks, including essays, research papers, online posts, critical reflections, projects and praxis exercises. Within a unit of study each set of assessment tasks is designed as an integral part of your learning experience. These tasks vary across units and programs. All assessment tasks are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework level appropriate for graduate awards.

Unit overview and content

This unit will provide detailed analysis of the organisational structure of Church, with reference to relevant codes of canon law.

Initial attention is given to the obligations and rights of all the Christian faithful as described by canon law.

An understanding of the theological and canonical characteristics of the diocese, as an organisational unit of the Catholic Church, is developed.

The concept of a public juridic person is studied, in relation to a wide range of Church organisations. Students are given the opportunity to analyse a specific Church organisation through this framework, including:

• Dioceses, diocesan agencies and parishes
• Religious Institutes
• Associations of the Faithful
• Ministerial Juridic Persons and other ecclesial organisations

Assumed Knowledge 

GOVC800 & GOVC801

Study hours    

10 hours per week for 12 week session, comprised of

• At least one hour per week for online lectures
• At least three hours per week of reading.
• At least six hours per week of directed study, including optional and assessable online activities.

Lecturer

Rev Matthew Muller

Teaching methods

Online lectures; online activities; guided reading; scaffolded assessments; feedback on assessments.

Indicative Assessment

At the Institute we use a range of assessment tasks, including essays, research papers, online posts, critical reflections, projects and praxis exercises. Within a unit of study each set of assessment tasks is designed as an integral part of your learning experience. These tasks vary across units and programs. All assessment tasks are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework level appropriate for graduate awards.

Unit overview and content

This unit examines the practice of stewardship as it occurs through the bishops’ participation in the threefold munera of sanctifying, teaching and governing.

The biblical foundation of stewardship arises out of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church – Lumen Gentium. The unit opens with an examination of the relationship between the key elements of stewardship and the role of bishop, as prescribed by the Second Vatican Council. Students will consider ways in which ecclesial change in the post-conciliar Church resulted in a move towards a decentralised Church.

The impact on the bishop’s role of governance as vicar of Christ is considered, with particular reference to power and autonomy in decision-making.  This will involve study of The Directory on the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops. The depiction of bishop as shepherd will lead students to consider how the guiding principles of the Directory help shape the bishop’s role in administering the particular Church through acts of governance that are undertaken in direct response to stewardship.

Finally, the study of relevant aspects of Book V of the Code of Canon Law will assist students to understand the concept of ecclesiastical goods and how they are regulated in Church law. The principals of the effective stewardship of temporal goods are considered, with particular focus given to the canonical action of alienation of ecclesiastical property (canons 1290-1298). Students are given the opportunity to explore methods of best practice through a case study of a diocese or religious institute.

Unit content includes:

• • Stewardship – what are we talking about? Stewardship and its relationship to Governance
  • Scriptural and Theological basis of Stewardship
  • Virtues and Principles of Pastoral Governance
  • Structures of Participation of the Lay Faithful
  • Juridic Persons and Juridic Acts
  • Pastoral Stewardship
  • Financial Stewardship
  • Other Temporal Goods Issues

Assumed Knowledge 

GOVC800 & GOVC801

Study hours    

11 hours per week for 11 week session, comprised of

• At least 1 hour per week for online lectures
• At least 4 hours per week of reading.
• At least 6 hours per week of directed study, including optional and assessable online activities.

Lecturer

Rev Matthew Muller

Teaching methods

Online lectures; online activities; guided reading; scaffolded assessments; feedback on assessments.

Indicative Assessment

At the Institute we use a range of assessment tasks, including essays, research papers, online posts, critical reflections, projects and praxis exercises. Within a unit of study each set of assessment tasks is designed as an integral part of your learning experience. These tasks vary across units and programs. All assessment tasks are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework level appropriate for graduate awards.

Unit overview and content

This unit provides the opportunity for specialised study in a particular discipline under the tutelage and guidance of a specialist in the field. It seeks to further the learning experience of the student by engaging in issues aligned with a particular area within canon law in a specialised area of interest to the student.

Assumed Knowledge 

GOVC800 & GOVC801

Study hours    

10 hours per week for 12 week session, comprised of

• At least 10 hour per week of directed study, including reading, research, consultation with tutor and writing up of assessment tasks.

Teaching methods

Online lectures; online activities; guided reading; scaffolded assessments; feedback on assessments.

Indicative Assessment

At the Institute we use a range of assessment tasks, including essays, research papers, online posts, critical reflections, projects and praxis exercises. Within a unit of study each set of assessment tasks is designed as an integral part of your learning experience. These tasks vary across units and programs. All assessment tasks are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework level appropriate for graduate awards.