Ladislas Orsy, S.J (Hungarian:Őrsy László; July 30, 1921 – April 3, 2025) was a Hungarian-AmericanJesuitpriest and notedcanonicaltheologian.
Orsy was born on July 30, 1921, in Pusztaegres,Fejér County, Hungary. He completed his secondary education at theCistercianGymnasium inSzékesfehérvár. After graduating from high school, he studied law at thePázmány Péter Catholic University inBudapest, from which he joined theSociety of Jesus in 1943. He completed hisnovitiate in Manréza,Zugliget, and then began his philosophical studies inSzeged.
Due to the growing communist influence in his country, Orsy fled abroad in 1946. He obtained alicentiate in philosophy at theGregorian University inRome in 1948. There he then began his study oftheology, which he completed between 1950–52 at the Jesuit College of theCatholic University of Leuven in 1952. In the meantime, he was ordained a priest in 1951.
Five years later Orsy obtained hisdoctorate in Canon Law at theGregorian University. In 1960 he earned an MA degree in civil law from the Honours School of Jurisprudence atOxford University. In 1953, he completed his period oftertianship atSaint Asaph, Wales. The following year he was appointed as a pastor in London. He then obtained a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University (1954–57). He supplemented this with a master's degree in civil law at Oxford (Honour School of Jurisprudence, 1957–60).
Orsy went on to teach Catholic Canon Law and Roman civil law at various universities around the world, initially atFordham University in theBronx, New York, and later atGeorgetown University inWashington, D.C., from which he retired at the age of 97. He also lectured at the Gregorian University.
Orsy wrote hundreds of journal articles and nine books on theology and canon law. His books includeMarriage in Canon Law (1986),The Church: Learning and Teaching (1987),Theology and Canon Law: New Horizons for Legislation and Interpretation (1992).
Orsy was at one time a professor of Canon Law atThe Catholic University of AmericaSchool of Canon Law. He taught Canon Law at theGregorian University in Rome,Fordham University, theUniversity of Fribourg,Switzerland, Saint Paul University, Ottawa,Canada, and theGeorgetown University Law Center. He was a regular visitor at theGeorgetown University Law Center where he taughtRoman Law,Philosophy of Law,Canon Law, andGreat Philosophers on Law.
In 1999, Orsy dialogued with then-CardinalJoseph Ratzinger about theApostolic letterAd Tuendam Fidem.
Orsy died on April 3, 2025, at the age of 103.[1]
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