《梵蒂冈法课程》响应了该学科的学术计划，旨在系统、完整地呈现梵蒂冈城国现行的法律体系。本课程共八章，从历史导论开始，这对于理解梵蒂冈城国的存在理由及其主要问题至关重要。通过分析国家结构要素，我们将逐步呈现其政府组织和法律制度的渊源，从教师的角度来看，这些渊源构成了课程的核心。课程将探讨梵蒂冈立法者制定的规范与意大利的参考规范以及梵蒂冈法律所承认的"第一规范渊源和第一解释性参考标准"--教会法体系的规范之间的融合。接下来，课程将探讨梵蒂冈城国现行的民法、刑法、劳动法和金融法的规范体系。对梵蒂冈法律的分析使学者们了解到该法律体系的独特之处，该体系除了自身特点外，还融入了规范和制度的更新过程，这与该法律组织的国际演变相得益彰。
胡安-伊格纳西奥-阿列塔-奥乔亚-德-钦切特鲁蒙席（西班牙维多利亚，1951年4月10日）自2007年起担任宗座立法文本委员会秘书。他曾任纳瓦拉大学教会法教授、罗马圣十字宗座大学教会法系教授兼院长、威尼斯圣比约十世教会法学院教授兼院长。阿列塔蒙席出版了许多著作，包括教会法、教会法和梵蒂冈法方面的论文、专著、评论和研究。
This Course in Vatican Law responds to the academic program of the discipline that intends to present in a systematic and complete way the legal system in force in the Vatican City State. The eight chapters in which the volume is structured develop starting from the historical introduction, necessary to understand the raison d'être of the institution itself and the main problems that concern it. Through the analysis of the elements that structure the State, we then arrive at the presentation of its government organization and the legal regime of the sources that, from the teacher's point of view, represents the central nucleus of the Course, which must examine the convergence of norms given by the Vatican legislator, with Italian norms of referral and those coming from the canonical system that Vatican law recognizes as "the first normative source and the first interpretative reference criterion". This is followed by the examination of the systems of norms of civil law, criminal law, labor law and financial law that are in force in the State. The analysis of Vatican law offers the scholar the peculiarity of a legal system that, to its own characteristics, adds a process of renewal of norms and institutions, necessary to keep pace with the international evolution of the legal organization.
Mons. Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru (Vitoria, Spain, 10.IV.1951) has been Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts since 2007. He was professor of Canon Law at the University of Navarra, professor and dean of the Faculty of Canon Law of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, professor and dean at the Institute of Canon Law San Pio X in Venice. Mons. Arrieta is the author of many published works, including treatises, monographs, commentaries and research in canon law, ecclesiastical law and Vatican law.