Pál Sáry: “The Property Rights of the Church in the Roman Empire”

The Property Rights of the Church in the Roman Empire

Pál Sáry, Ph. D., Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Miskolc, 3515 Miskolc, Hungary; pal.sary@uni-miskolc.hu; ORCID ID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0524-8585

Summary
The present paper deals with the legal capacity and especially the property rights of the growing Christian communities and church institutions within the Roman Empire from the beginning to the Justinianic era. In the beginning, the believers’ charitable donations became the property of the bishops. Later, when the local Christian communities became legal persons, the property of the bishops was separated from the property of the congregations. The local churches could already own real estate before 313. After 313, the legal capacity of the Catholic congregations was confirmed. Later, following the example of local churches, monasteries and finally charitable institutions also became legal entities. Charitable houses were also personal associations and not foundations; independent foundations – similarly to the rules of classical Roman law – did not exist in Justinianic law. The edicts of the Christian emperors greatly facilitated the acquisition of property by local churches, monasteries and charitable institutions. Furthermore, a number of legal rules were made for the special protection of ecclesiastical property.

Key words: Roman law; ecclesiastical juridical persons; charitable donations; pious wills; prohibition of alienation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3935/zpfz.73.4.03

Hrčak ID: 311378

URI:  https://hrcak.srce.hr/311378

Pages: 693-720

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Imovinskopravni položaj Crkve u Rimskom Carstvu

Dr. sc. Pál Sáry, profesor Pravnog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Miskolcu, 3515 Miskolc, Mađarska; pal.sary@uni-miskolc.hu; ORCID ID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0524-8585

Sažetak
U radu se obrađuju pitanja pravne sposobnosti i imovinskih prava rastućih crkvenih zajednica i institucija u Rimskom Carstvu od njihovih početaka do Justinijanova doba. U počecima, darovanja učinjena u dobrotvorne svrhe postajala su vlasništvo biskupa, no tijekom vremena, kada kršćanske zajednice vjernika stječu određene karakteristike pravnih osoba, dolazi do razdvajanja imovine biskupa od imovine zajednice. Pritom se ističe da su mjesne crkve mogle imati vlasništvo nad nekretninama već i prije 313. godine, kada je potvrđena pravna sposobnost zajednica vjernika. Kasnije, po uzoru na mjesne crkve, samostani i dobrotvorne ili nabožne ustanove su također postali subjekti prava. Dobrotvorne ustanove su pritom bile udruženja osoba, a ne zaklade, jer potonje nisu bile priznate ni u klasičnom ni u Justinijanovu pravu. Općenito, u radu se ističe važnost edikata kršćanskih careva kojima je u velikoj mjeri omogućeno stjecanje imovine od strane mjesnih crkava, samostana i dobrotvornih ustanova. Uz to, niz pravnih pravila donesen je upravo radi zaštite crkvene imovine.

Ključne riječi: rimsko pravo; crkvene pravne osobe; darovanja u dobrotvorne svrhe; oporuke u nabožne svrhe; zabrana otuđenja

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3935/zpfz.73.4.03

Hrčak ID: 311378

URI:  https://hrcak.srce.hr/311378

Stranice: 693-720