The Proceedings of the Codification of Canon Law and the Contribution of Willem van Rossum

One of Willem van Rossum’s most important activities in the Roman Curia was his contribution to the codification of church law which resulted in the Codex Iuris Canonici of 1917. Van Rossun was among the first group of consultors appointed in 1904, an appointment confirmed by the Dutch episcopate. He was involved in this capacity in the discussions of the “Index Materiarum”, which was laid down by the council. His experience and expertise in theological and moral works of the Alphonsus van Liguori proved to be very useful to him as a consultor. Van Rossum was charged with drawing up four vota, one about confirmation, one about unction and two about marriage and obstacles to it. In their preparation he showed himself to be a great upholder of traditional church treaching. The changers he proposed were largely incorporated in the Codex. As a supporter of Gasparri, Van Rossum stayed involved in the work for codification, even, after becoming a cardinal in 1911, until the promulgation of the Codex in 1917.