Mission Subject: Left Over Things
The VPS Webmaster has been keeping me quite busy lately, training me to use the VPS Stamp Inventory System. I must admit, it is a very impressive program... although between you and me, I'd rather spend my time showing off Vatican stamps with the VPS Slideshow software!Vatican Philatelic Society members using Windows 11 and the Microsoft Edge browser can download both the VPS Stamp Inventory and VPS Slideshow programs at no charge from the Album Page Downloads section, which is linked from the VPS Member Page.
Meanwhile, our Vatican stamp album pages continue to march through the scanner, one page at a time. Slowly but surely, we are building a digital library of our collections and storing the images on our personal computers. This makes it possible to review our Vatican treasures anytime we wish, including during that all-important morning cup of tea.
Pretty nifty, if you ask me! In fact, I've discovered that admiring Vatican stamps with a hot cup of tea is much safer than trying to organize stamps while balancing a teacup over an album page. Trust me on this one... robots may only drink virtual tea, but even I know that's a dangerous mission!
We were able to gather a bit more information about Pope Benedict XV's role in the development of Canon Law. Specifically, we reached out to one of our Vatican Canon Law contacts to better understand the reforms and codification efforts undertaken during his papacy. We were particularly interested in whether his work continues to influence Vatican governance and activities today. Below is the response we received:
"Pope Benedict XVI's main contribution to the field of canon law was promulgating the first code (a single volume containing the bulk of laws governing the Church) during his pontificate, under his authority. The codification of the vast body of laws known as the "Corpus Iuris Canonici" (The Body of Canon Law) began with Pope Pius X, in 1904. Pietro Cardinal Gasparri, a noted canonist, and a team of experts he assembled carried out the actual work. The finished work, the Codex Iuris Canonici (Code of Canon Law) was promulgated in 1917, under Benedict XV's Pontificate, and hence is referred to as the Pio-Benedictine Code, because the work spanned both pontificates. (Cardinal Gasparri later became Secretary of State, under Pope Benedict XV and also his successor, Pope Pius XI, and was heavily involved in the negotiations with the Kingdom of Italy that led to the Lateran Treaty of 1929 and the establishment of the Vatican City State).
The 1917 Code was abrogated when the 1983 Code came into effect, according to the norms detailed in Canon 6 of the new Code:
• When this Code comes into force, the following are abrogated:
- the Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1917;
- other laws, whether universal or particular, which are contrary to the provisions of this Code, unless it is otherwise expressly provided in respect of particular laws;
- all penal laws enacted by the Apostolic See, whether universal or particular, unless they are resumed in this Code itself;
- any other universal disciplinary laws concerning matters which are integrally reordered by this Code.
• To the extent that the canons of this Code reproduce the former law, they are to be assessed in the light also of canonical tradition.
Although the 1983 Code is the actual law governing the Church today, the 1917 Code remains hugely influential and is often consulted by canonists when interpreting or applying the law."
Now you the history of Vatican cannon law! Time for another cup of tea ...
— VPSrobot
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