The teaching of canon law in Zagreb (1669–1946)

Milotić, Ivan (author), Obadić, Ivan (author)

The teaching of canon law in Zagreb and its institutionalisation within the education system have been of fundamental significance. The universal character of canon law, together with its stability and continuity, has strongly contributed to the continuity of academic institutions in Zagreb. Canon law functioned as a factor of institutional continuity and legal succession, representing the only viable legal link between the Jesuit Academy founded in 1669 and the modern University of Zagreb, established in 1874. Although canon law has remained continuously in place to the present day, its status and treatment have undergone substantial changes due to ideological controversies, reforms, and periods of war. In certain periods, canon law served as a means of preserving academic institutions and higher education in Zagreb, while in others, notably during the era of Enlightened absolutism (the reform of 1777 and the Josephine reforms) and under the communist regime, it became a victim of anticlericalism, laicization, and ideological hostility. This article examines the role, function, and significance of canon law, including its teaching, academic chairs, and professors, across different phases of the development of academic institutions in Zagreb from 1662 to 1946 (or 1952), with particular attention to major political and academic turning points. It also analyses the forces and challenges that, at times, led to the full affirmation of canon law and, at others, to its marked marginalisation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: legal continuity, canon law, legal succession, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Theology, enlightened absolutism, Josephine reforms, ideological intervention, communist regime
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 15.07.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 47-59
• Numbering: Letn. 86, [št.] 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185491
• UDC: 27-74:378(497.5Zagreb)
• ISSN on article: 0006-5722
• DOI: 10.34291/BV2026/01/Milotic
• COBISS.SI-ID: 285788163
• Publication date in RUL: 06.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Bogoslovni vestnik
• Shortened title: Bogosl. vestn.
• Publisher: Bogoslovna akademija, Bogoslovna akademija, Teološka fakulteta v Ljubljani, Teološka fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 0006-5722
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8745472

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Poučevanje kanonskega prava v Zagrebu (1669–1946)

Abstract

Poučevanje kanonskega prava v Zagrebu in njegova institucionalizacija sta imela v okviru izobraževalnega sistema temeljni pomen. Univerzalni značaj kanonskega prava skupaj z njegovo stabilnostjo in kontinuiteto je močno prispeval h kontinuiteti akademskih ustanov v Zagrebu – kanonsko pravo je delovalo kot dejavnik institucionalne kontinuitete in pravnega nasledstva ter predstavljalo edino možno pravno povezavo med Jezuitsko akademijo, ustanovljeno leta 1669, in sodobno Univerzo v Zagrebu, ustanovljeno leta 1874. Čeprav je kanonsko pravo neprekinjeno prisotno vse do danes, sta se njegov status in obravnava zaradi ideoloških sporov, reform in vojnih obdobij bistveno spreminjala. V določenih obdobjih je tako kanonsko pravo služilo kot sredstvo za ohranjanje akademskih ustanov in visokošolskega izobraževanja v Zagrebu, medtem ko je v drugih obdobjih, še posebej v času razsvetljenega absolutizma (reforma leta 1777 in jožefinske reforme) ter pod komunističnim režimom, postalo žrtev antiklerikalizma, laizacije in ideološke sovražnosti. Članek obravnava vlogo, funkcijo in pomen kanonskega prava – vključno z njegovim poučevanjem, katedrami in profesorji – skozi različne faze razvoja akademskih ustanov v Zagrebu med leti 1662 in 1946 (oziroma 1952), s posebnim poudarkom na ključnih političnih in akademskih prelomnicah. Analizira tudi silnice in izzive, ki so v nekaterih obdobjih vodili k popolni uveljavitvi kanonskega prava, v drugih pa k njegovi izraziti marginalizaciji.

• Keywords: kanonsko pravo, pravna kontinuiteta, pravno nasledstvo, Univerza v Zagrebu, Pravna fakulteta, Katoliška teološka fakulteta, razsvetljeni absolutizem, jožefinske reforme, ideološki posegi, komunistični režim