After navigating a Roman bureaucratic paper trail with the good assistance of a friend still studying in Rome, my diploma from the Pontifical Gregorian University finally arrived on Monday, proving that I have, in fact, completed my studies for the License in Canon Law:
It is a curiosity of the Roman system that, in addition to not giving you a diploma at the completion of your studies, no one mentions how you can obtain your diploma. As with many things in Rome, you have to ask just the right question of the right person (and sometimes at the right time of day), or happen to notice just the right form in a subsection of the web site. Since I leave for vacation later this morning, I will have it framed when I return.
Many thought this degree would be the completion of my academic studies, but I have known for some time now this would not likely be the case, something His Excellency the Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois, unexpectedly -at least to me (I knew it would be announced sometime soon, but not when) - confirmed yesterday afternoon during a regular video conference with the priests of the Diocese. I am to return to the Liturgical Institute this summer to begin studies for a Master of Arts in Liturgy (M.A.L.).
If you are unfamiliar with the work of the Liturgical Institute, here is a great little video describing its purpose:
This will be the first of five six-week summer sessions towards this degree and it will be good to return to the beautiful campus of Mundelein Seminary. I will continue in my present assignments while undertaking these studies and humbly ask for your prayers again.
Today, following a two-week break after the conclusion of the first semester of this academic year, begins my final semester of studies here in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
As we look to the conclusion of our formal studies for the licentiate in canon law, my classmates and I will take the follow courses this semester:
Recent Jurisprudence of the Roman Rota in the Cause of Marriages
At the same time, we will also finish Latin III, which began several weeks late into the first semester.
The schedule for the first half of the semester looks to be fairly light, though it should become grueling toward the second of the semester as we are scheduled to have three hours of lectures each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning, and two hours of lectures each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. We are attempting to negotiate a new schedule for these afternoon classes.
Who does not like a well-designed, interesting, humorous, or inspiring desktop wallpaper? Lately I have found my favorite images for such a use at Eucatastrophe where someone named Dan takes various quotations from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien and creates beautiful posters with them. Take this one, for example, which I have used for the past several weeks now:
It fits very nicely on the desktop and allows (purposely or not) a column on either side of the image where useful icons can handily be placed, as seen in this picture used in the Annuario 2015-2016published by the Canon Law Faculty of the Pontifical Gregorian University:
It seems my hair is greying nicely.
The photograph was not entirely staged, though it was taken at the beginning of one of our classes. I knew the photographer was in the row behind me and thought the desktop image might look nicer in a photograph than a Word document.
Earlier this week my penultimate semester at the Pontifical Gregorian University began and so far it has gone well (it didn't hurt that I was able to buy 14 cans of Dr Pepper Monday afternoon and another 28 cans yesterday afternoon; it is always to good to a stockpile on hand).
The course load this semester is a bit lighter than that of previous semesters to give us more time to spend on our theses (I am going to write on the canonical age for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation in the present legislation), though the schedule of the classes is not so grand (we have one class that meets every Friday from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. which will greatly hinder many of my hoped for travels this year).
This semester, I am taking the following courses:
Processes [and a Practicum]
Associations
Temporal Goods of the Church [and a Practicum]
Theology of Law
Latin III
Please remember me and my classmates in your prayers and be assured of your remembrance in my prayers.
A few minutes ago I completed my oral comprehensive exams thus bringing to a happy end the second of my three years of studies here in Rome. This calls for a bit or rejoicing:
Tomorrow morning I will depart the Eternal City and return home for the summer, where the rejoicing shall continue.
The academic year here in Rome is finally nearing its end and my return home for the summer is fast approaching. First, though, I must finish my exams, which the canon law faculty of the Pontifical Gregorian University will hold this week.
The assessment of students within the canon law faculty of the P.G.U. is done principally through comprehensive exams over the text of the Code of Canon Law. This morning we will have two written exams (in which, as I understand it, four questions will be put before us, of which we will choose two to answer) and we will have two oral exams on Wednesday and Thursday (mine will both be Thursday morning).
After spending a good part of the past many days reviewing notes and looking through the Code itself, I'm beginning to feel a lot like this friar:
I think I am prepared for the exams, but since the professors can ask about anything covered both this year and last year (the first two of three years), it is not easy to tell; the amount of material is vast and the method of the exams (both written and oral) allows only for a few questions through to judge the knowledge of the students.
Because Saint Joseph of Cupertino is the patron of those taking exams, this morning I will ask his intercession before I return to my notes:
O humble St. Joseph of Cupertino, singularly favored by God in overcoming the difficulties of studies and the worry of examinations, implore the Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind and strengthen my memory in the search of His truth and wisdom. Help me especially in the decisive moments of these examinations, protecting me from that forgetfulness and disturbing anxiety which often affect me. May I succeed in offering to God my finest work and may I grow in knowledge, understanding, humility and charity. May everything that I attempt to learn in life be offered in faithful service to God, from whom flows that wisdom which leads to eternal life. Amen.
Today begins the second semester of my second year (of three) at the Pontifical Gregorian University in my pursuit of a license in canon law. After a couple of weeks free after the exam period, I cannot say I am exactly eager to resume classes again, but it will be good to begin the second half of my time in Rome.
For those who might be interested, I will take the following classes this semester:
Parish and diocesan curia (and a praxis course)
Marriage II
The teaching office of the Church (and a praxis course)
Roman law
Introduction to civil law
Introduction to the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
Latin II
From the body to the Code of Canon Law: A change of paradigm for canon law
I hope this semester will not be as tedious as some of these course titles indicate may be possible. Your continued prayers will be much appreciated!
Having taken this morning - and passed - my only exam (in the jurisdictional relationship between the Church and civil society) for the first semester and having completed and submitted this afternoon my final paper for another class (in methodology), I have not only completed the first semester of the second year of my studies in canon law, but I am now halfway through my time at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
With the first semester now finished, I am free until the 16th of February when the second semester begins. Regrettably, the forecast for Rome predicts another four or five days of Rome, on top of the several days of rain - at least thick, low clouds - we have had the past several days. I think, while the rain persists, this may be a good opportunity to re-read The Lord of the Rings.
I may take advantage of a few of the days to travel within Italy, perhaps back to Assisi or to Manoppello or even to Milan to see an exhibit of Tolkien-themed art. Another priest of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois arrives next week for a visit, so I have no plans to travel too far.
The last year and a half has gone by, I am happy to say, somewhat quickly. Still, I shall be very glad when the next year a half has passed and I am back home.
There are few things that bring greater joy to a student than the unexpected cancellation of class. Thus was my experience last week when I learned on Thursday afternoon my Latin class Friday afternoon (1:30 - 3:00, a miserable time for class) was cancelled, without explanation.
After my morning classes concluded today, I learned that Latin is again cancelled this afternoon. It's a beautifully bright day here in Rome under a perfectly blue sky and the free time will afford a welcome and lengthy walk through the city.
While the news again brought much joy, I can't help but feel a bit conflicted; I like not having class, but I hope he's feeling okay. This isn't a professor keen on missing classes - let alone two in a row - and he's also one of the finest men I've ever met (and the only professor I currently have that actually talks with his students).
If you would, please say a prayer for my professor, and for the students who now have a second free afternoon.
As I was preparing to begin the day this morning I heard a quick downpour of rain outside my window. This wasn't unexpected as the forecast for the week called for rain nearly all day every day. Still, there was something intense about this sudden burst of rain (that lasted all of three minutes) that I said to myself, "And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down."
I thought the words belonged to a song and since I couldn't remember what song it might be, I went searching the Internet. What I found brought back happy memories of childhood:
I shared it on Facebook and said, "It may not be this bad in Rome today, but you get the idea." Apparently I was wrong. Maybe.
It hasn't rained much in my part of the city today but because of an expected 12 cm (4 3/4") of rain and strong winds tonight, the city of Rome is under a Code Red and schools tomorrow are closed. This is apparently a situatione sensa precedenti, a situation without precedent. Curiously, no one seems to know what a Code Red means.
There's very little wind where I am now and no rain, though we've heard a bit of thunder and seen a little lightning.
Having recently survived Hurricane Iselle and having watched Hurricane Julio blow by, I'm not in the least concerned. I find this situation rather humorous, especially since the weather isn't even anything like a good Midwestern storm. This seems one great over-reaction to a possible storm (it was supposed to pour down rain all day today but didn't, though, to be fair, Rome has terrible drainage), but this is Italy.
UPDATE 1 (6 November 2014, 7:09 a.m.):
Since all schools in Rome are closed today for fear of the coming rain, I decided to take a little walk this morning breakfast (it wasn't - and isn't now - raining in my part of the city).
I had planned to walk to the Basilica of St. Peter and back (right about 30 minutes each way), but when I arrived at the Pantheons about 6:30 a.m. (after about 10 minutes of walking), I decided not to go as far as planned. The clouds appeared low, dark, and thick in the direction of the Vatican hill and a few sprinkles where falling in the piazza in front of the ancient temple, which, since A.D. 609 is dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs (the holy Mass is celebrated there each day, though the Eucharist is not reserved there because of the hordes of tourists):
But, as is often the case with things in Italy, in the opposite direction the weather looked quite different:
We'll see what happens. If the rain falls as expected, this could be a good day to return to the Pantheon to see the rain pouring through the oculus in the dome.
UPDATE 2:
The city of Roma has ordered most vehicular traffic off of the streets and many busses are not running today. Schools are closed throughout the city - including Sapienza and the Angelicum - but not the Pontifical Gregorian University. I am not happy.
Not - at 8:31 a.m. - the rain is pouring down.
UPDATE 3:
It rained for - at most - an hour and a half this morning and much that was just a normal, nothing too heavy. There aren't large puddles in the streets and all seems well. At this point, it seems just another instance of government incited panic over the weather (as often now happens in the U.S. with a couple inches of forecasted snow). Soon I'll take a little walk to the Tiber River to see how it looks.
UPDATE 4:
It's now 8:11 p.m. in Rome and it's been raining steadily for at least an hour now, with lots of lightning and thunder. The lights have flickered a few times, but so far we haven't lost power.
I didn't make it out earlier to the Pantheon because just as I was about to walk out of our building the wind picked up, the rain fell heavily. The sky even almost had a greenish tint to it. This could be an interesting night.
As I understand it, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome is supposed to have the flagship of canonical faculties throughout the world. For this reason, as I read - with some surprise - that the Holy Father Pope Francis established yesterday a Special Commission, as Vatican Radio reports, "to prepare a proposal of reform of the
matrimonial process, with the objective of simplifying its procedure,
making it more streamlined, and safeguarding the principle of the
indissolubility of matrimony"
It was not the establishment of the Special Commission that surprised so much as the make-up of its members. For example, His Holiness appointed the Dean of
the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University Antoniamum (which, as I understand it, is not especially known for its canonical faculty) and a former professor of Canon Law at the University of Pisa, but no one from the canonical faculty of the Pontifical Gregorian University. When I noticed this, I couldn't help but wonder, did the Pope snub the Greg? Whether he did or not, I do not know; I simply ask the question.
The task now entrusted to the Special Commission, according to media reports, was to be the principle work of the upcoming Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to be held from October 5-19. It could be, I suppose, that the Special Commission will present a few recommendations to the Extraordinary General Assembly, but how this could be done in such a short time I do not know. What will come of either the Special Commission or the Extraordinary General Assembly, no one really knows.
UPDATE:
Cardinal Coccopalmerio holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer studied [dogmatic?] theology at has taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Bishop Dimitri Salachas has taught at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
As most students in Rome are now wrapping up their exams, those of us in the canonical faculty at the Pontifical Gregorian University are only now beginning our exams. This morning I had an oral exam covering my course on the History of the Sources of Canon Law (which was about as exciting as it sounds).
Since my exam was to take place at 9:20 a.m., I arrived at room L107 - as indicated by my "online secretary" - at 9:00 a.m., just to be safe (sometimes other exams begin early or finish quickly). However, when I arrived none of my classmates were around (unlike last semester's exam with the same professor and the same topic) and I began to wonder if I was in the right place (especially so since I was surrounded by philosophy students and I couldn't hear any sounds from within the room).
On the bulletin board outside the classroom was a paper listing the various classes in the canonical faculty offered this semester with the (supposed) locations of the exams. The paper indicated that the exams for the History of the Sources of Canon Law were being held in room F107, in a separate building altogether.
I quickly made may way of out of the L (for Lucchesi) building and crossed the piazza. Upon entering the F (for Frascara) building, I made my way to the first floor (the ground floor is always 0 in Italy) only to discover that room F107 does not exist. Frustrated, though not entirely surprised (you almost never receive the same answer from two different people about anything in Italy; no one ever really seems to know what is going on), I returned to room L107 to find the door open and the professor gone. Thankfully, he returned momentarily and the exam went well.
Our comprehensive exams - covering all of the material from the first and second semesters - begin next week. On Monday, we have a written exam for which we can take up to an hour. As I understand it, two questions will be presented to us, one more theoretical and one more practical, and we will choose one of those questions to answer. On Wednesday, we have two 15-minute oral exams. After the second of these, our work for the year will be complete.
Tomorrow, the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, classes will, at long last, begin at the Pontifical Gregorian University (and, I believe, at all of the other Pontifical universities in Rome) where I will begin my studies in canon law. This will be the 463rd academic year since the founding of the Gregorian University.
It should be prove to a most interesting time, given that classes will be taught in Italian (though not all of the professors are Italian) and the exams and papers can be taken and written in English (as most of the professors also speak and read English).
After spending a good deal of time today putting the class schedule in my calendar, I'm beginning to think that the most difficult aspect of the year will be keeping track of the schedule itself. As with many things in Italy, the schedule is not consistent. For example, for the first five weeks of the semester I will have no classes on Tuesdays; for the middle six weeks of the semester I will have no classes on Wednesdays; and for the remaining three weeks of the semester I will again have no classes on Tuesdays. To make things more complicated yet, the classes themselves do not always meet at the same or even on the same day of the week. And then there's also the fact the some classes finish before the semester ends only to replaced by new classes that do not meet during anything that might resemble the previous time slot.
It has been repeatedly said to me that "Ma Greg [as she is affectionately known] eats her young". We shall see if this will prove to be true. Thus far, I have found the Greg pleasant, even if frustrating on account of its typical Italian organization (the simple act of registering for classes took a little over a week).
Throughout the course of the first semester I will be taking the following courses:
General Norms I;
Faithful in General, Laity;
Sanctifying Office: Sacraments, Except Holy Orders and Marriage;
General Norms: Administrative Practice;
Worship and Sacrament of Penance, Administrative Practice;
History of Canon Law, Institutions, Sources and Sciences;
Methodology I; and
Latin Language I (which will, thanks be to God, be taught in English)
Throughout the year I will aim to keep the wise advice of Saint Bonaventure, who said: "Do not extend yourself beyond the point the mind can grasp, but neither remain short of it." For your continued prayers in this regard I will be most grateful.
