Corpus of Canon Law Texts

Timeline

1. 1140Bologna · ItalyGratian gathered papal decretals, patristic writings, and conciliar regulations in a 'conflict-resolution' format, forming the first systematic corpus of canon law and laying the foundation for the later glossators.
2. 1181–1190University of Paris · FranceIn the 1180s the Decretum was the standard textbook for canon law courses; glossators taught its chapters on marriage, holy orders, and jurisdiction at Paris and Bologna; papal courts and local episcopal tribunals also cited its provisions in handling ecclesiastical cases.
3. 1234–1917Rome · Papal StatesFrom the 13th century the successive decretal collections (such as the Decretals of Gregory IX, 1234) and the Decretum together were called the Corpus iuris canonici; codified by the papacy in 1917, completing the classic form of the medieval canon law corpus.