About

Thematic Scope, Aims, Specificity, and Reach of the Journal

"Prawo Kanoniczne. Kwartalnik prawno-historyczny" (Canon Law Quarterly) is a scholarly journal dedicated to the field of canon law and assigned to the scientific discipline of canon law, edited at the Institute of Canon Law within the Faculty of Canon Law at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw. The journal publishes original articles in the field of canon law and related legal disciplines, addressing issues thematically linked to canon law, concordat law, and denominational law.

 The aim of the journal is to create a platform for presenting the results of scientific research and for exchanging ideas related to both national and international canonical and legal activities. The presentation of achievements and the engagement in scientific debates address the need for dialogical diversity in scientific research, fostering openness to new interpretations of theological and canonical issues, which help to deepen the legal dimension of the Church and the topic of state-church relations. The articles published in the journal facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences within both national and international forums.

As a result, the editorial team engages in intensive collaboration with international institutions, which contributes to the promotion of Polish canon law scholarship on the global stage. At the same time, it provides Polish canonists and readers with easier access to the development of canon law and other legal disciplines worldwide. The exchange of ideas and perspectives is facilitated by the option to publish in congress languages (English, Italian, Spanish, French, German).

The quarterly is subscribed to both in Poland and abroad as part of international scholarly exchange. It is available in the libraries of many foreign universities with faculties of canon law and, additionally, in numerous institutions of the universal Church, particularly in Rome.

The journal is open to collaboration with representatives from all international centers, as evidenced by the presence of members from European and U.S. faculties of canon law and law on the journal's scientific advisory board and among its reviewers.

"Prawo Kanoniczne" also has its own distinctiveness and specificity, namely the publication of articles resulting from the scientific research of Polish canonists, including faculty members of the Faculty of Canon Law at UKSW. The journal also provides a platform for young scholars who are deepening their knowledge within the Doctoral School and preparing their dissertations. It publishes original studies that address important issues related to current legal and ecclesiastical phenomena, their interpretation and application, including the development of new legal solutions as well as their historical, legal, and theological analysis. This approach also includes studies from the auxiliary sciences of canon law, without which exploring the legal dimension of the Church would be either impossible or of little practical use—such as Church history, theology (particularly fundamental theology and ecclesiology), and sociology. The journal publishes articles in various forms, including scientific articles, polemical articles, and glosses (commentaries on the rulings of ecclesiastical and state courts concerning religious matters, both domestic and international), review articles, and reviews of the latest scientific monographs. Additionally, the journal publishes reports from scientific conferences organized by the Faculty of Canon Law at UKSW, habilitation colloquia, defended doctoral and master’s theses, and the scientific achievements of the staff employed at the Faculty of Canon Law. These contributions enhance the recognition and reputation of the staff in the field of global canon law.

 The intended audience of the journal includes academics interested in historical-legal issues, as well as those focused on canon law and law, individuals employed in ecclesiastical and state administration, and employees of courts – particularly ecclesiastical courts. The journal is also highly valuable for students seeking to deepen their university studies.

History of the Journal

"Prawo Kanoniczne" was established in 1958 as the journal of the Faculty of Canon Law, which had been in existence since 1954 at the Academy of Catholic Theology in Warsaw (and since 1999 at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw). The founder and first editor-in-chief was Rev. Prof. Dr. Alfons Myrcha. Until 2011, the journal was published twice a year, as issues Nos. 1-2 and 3-4. In 2012, due to significant interest in publishing in the journal, the publication frequency was changed from semi-annual to quarterly. In 2007, the quarterly "Prawo Kanoniczne" celebrated its 50th anniversary. A special issue was published to mark this occasion, which included a bibliographical description of the contents from the journal’s 50 volumes.

Chief editors

  • 1958 – 1982 – Rev. Alfons Myrcha
  • 1983 – 1996 – Rev. Tadeusz Pawluk
  • 1997 – 2008 – Fr. Julian Kałowski, MIC
  • 2009 – 2020 – Fr. Joseph Wroceński SCJ
  • 2021 – 2024 – Fr. Marek Stokłosa SCJ
  • 2025 – ---- – Fr. Tomasz Gałkowski CP

 

Publication Schedule

"Prawo Kanoniczne" is published at the end of each quarter. The print version is the original format.

No fees are charged to authors for the review and publication process.

"Prawo Kanoniczne" ensures free access to published content in line with the principle that open-access research enhances and accelerates global scientific development and the exchange of knowledge.

The journal is included in the Ministry of National Education's list of point-rated journals (70 pts.), as well as in designated repositories and indexing databases.

The journal was subsidised in 2019-2020 with funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the "Support for Scientific Journals" programme. Contract no. 298/WCN/2019/1, dated 15 July 2019.

The journal is subsidised with funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education allocated for science dissemination activities. Agreement no. 851/P-DUN/2018, dated 11 May 2018.

 

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