Terms of Use — Version 1.0

Terms and Conditions of Use

Global Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Boundaries (Dataset Version 1.0)

Effective Date: September 22, 2026
Original Publication: 2016
Dataset Version: 1.0
Historical Steward: GoodLands
Current Stewardship: Molly A. Burhans / Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) / The Catholic University of America

1. Introduction, Purpose, and Scope

These Terms and Conditions of Use (“Terms”) govern access to, download, query, integration, redistribution, and use of the machine-readable spatial files, feature services, attribute schemas, and associated metadata comprising the Global Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Boundaries, Version 1.0 (the “Dataset”).

Version 1.0 is the first version of the global ecclesiastical geographic dataset originally developed in 2016 through research led by Molly A. Burhans at Esri’s Applications Prototype Lab, with contributions from Esri personnel, Catholic geographic and data specialists, and other collaborators. The Dataset was subsequently maintained and developed through GoodLands, the organization founded and led by Burhans.

The Dataset is a geographic research and cartographic resource intended to support scholarly research, geographic analysis, cartography, pastoral and institutional research, and other legitimate uses of ecclesiastical geographic information.

These Terms apply to the Dataset itself and are independent of any third-party website, cloud repository, GIS platform, web application, or other service through which the Dataset may be hosted, displayed, or accessed.

2. Historical Provenance and Development

Version 1.0 represents an early published version of the global ecclesiastical boundary dataset and should be understood within its developmental context.

The original work involved the comparison and synthesis of ecclesiastical maps, diocesan materials, Catholic statistical and hierarchical sources, historical documents, and other geographic information. The work was developed as a global geographic framework rather than as a canonical instrument or civil boundary dataset.

The Dataset subsequently served as a foundation for later versions and related geographic products. Later versions incorporated additional research, corrections, geographic refinement, enrichment, and temporal information. Accordingly, Version 1.0 should be preserved and cited as a distinct historical dataset rather than treated as interchangeable with later releases.

3. Historical Ownership and Stewardship

The Global Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Boundaries dataset was originally developed and subsequently maintained through the work of GoodLands, founded and led by Molly A. Burhans. GoodLands served as the historical organizational steward of the boundary data and associated geographic research during the period in which Version 1.0 and subsequent early versions were developed, maintained, and used.

As GoodLands' active operations transitioned toward an academic research context, stewardship of the dataset and its continued development likewise transitioned. The present repository provides the academic continuation of this work through Molly A. Burhans, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), and The Catholic University of America, subject to the applicable ownership, licensing, attribution, and provenance arrangements documented for each dataset version.

This transition does not alter the historical provenance of Version 1.0 or remove the contributions of GoodLands, its collaborators, or the individuals and institutions involved in the original development of the Dataset. Historical versions should continue to be identified and cited according to their original publication and provenance records.

References to current stewardship do not imply that PUST, CUA, or the present repository operated, administered, or controlled GoodLands or its activities during the period of GoodLands' stewardship.

4. License

Version 1.0 is licensed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives).

This license applies retroactively to all published versions of the Global Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Boundaries dataset beginning with Version 1.0, including Version 1.0 and subsequent versions, unless the applicable metadata or terms for a particular release expressly state otherwise.

Under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives), users may:

• Share and redistribute the Dataset in its original form for non-commercial purposes;

• Download, store, copy, and otherwise reproduce the Dataset;

• Use the Dataset for non-commercial scholarly, educational, research, cartographic, analytical, institutional, and other lawful purposes;

• Create independent non-commercial maps, analyses, publications, visualizations, and research outputs based on the Dataset, subject to the terms of the license.

Users may not distribute a modified, remixed, transformed, or otherwise adapted version of the Dataset itself under this license.

Appropriate attribution must accompany redistribution and substantial use of the Dataset.

License: Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

5. Mandatory Attribution and Citation Architecture

Users, developers, and publishers must provide explicit attribution in all redistributions, public web maps, and non-commercial research publications:

A. Interactive Map Frame Attribution (Viewport Service Credits)

Client map canvases, embedded viewports, and static/print map frames must display:

Diocesan Boundaries: PUST FASS, CUA, Esri, Catholic Hierarchy

When rendered alongside commercial base maps and baseline satellite services, format as:

Sources: Esri, USGS, NASA | Diocesan Boundaries: PUST FASS, CUA, Esri, Catholic Hierarchy

B. Metadata Registries & Data Catalogs

In digital data registries and GIS metadata records, cite under Key Data Sources & Academic Contributors as:

Data Sources: Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (PUST FASS), The Catholic University of America (CUA), and Molly A. Burhans.

(Note: Neither university shall be categorized under operational headings such as “Platform Operator,” “System Host,” or any title indicating governance or involvement beyond being a data source)

C. Formal Academic Bibliographic Citations

Scholarly, policy, and technical publications referencing the Dataset must cite the co-owners in full:
Click here for pre-formatted citations and additional information

6. Institutional Independence and Endorsement

The Dataset has historical and current associations with multiple institutions and organizations. These associations do not imply that any such institution endorses a particular downstream map, analysis, interpretation, publication, policy, or application.

Use of the Dataset does not imply endorsement, canonical validation, editorial approval, or theological sponsorship by:

• the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum);

• The Catholic University of America;

• GoodLands;

• Esri;

• Catholic-Hierarchy.org

• Molly A. Burhans; or

• any individual or institution identified in the Dataset's historical provenance.

The names, coats of arms, seals, logos, and other protected marks of PUST, CUA, GoodLands, Esri, or other institutions may not be used to imply endorsement or affiliation without appropriate authorization.

7. Geographic and Canonical Nature of the Dataset

The boundaries represented in Version 1.0 are ecclesiastical geographic representations, not political boundaries.

An ecclesiastical jurisdiction may cross international or subnational political borders. Its geographic extent should therefore not be assumed to correspond to the territory of a country, state, province, municipality, or other civil government.

The Dataset provides a geographic representation of ecclesiastical jurisdictions for research, cartography, and analysis. It does not establish, determine, modify, or certify canonical jurisdiction.

The canonical status, territorial competence, and juridical authority of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction remain matters of ecclesiastical law and competent ecclesiastical authority.

8. Scale, Generalization, and Appropriate Use

Version 1.0 was produced at approximately 1:3,000,000 scale and contains generalized geographic representations intended principally for regional and global visualization and analysis.

The Dataset is therefore not appropriate for:

• cadastral or property surveys;

• parcel-level analysis;

• street-level navigation;

• precise determination of a person's ecclesiastical jurisdiction;

• legal boundary determination;

• property or territorial disputes;

• definitive parish boundary determination; or

• other applications requiring high positional precision.

For questions requiring a current or legally or canonically authoritative territorial determination, users should consult the appropriate diocesan curia, ecclesiastical authority, or other authoritative source.

9. Temporal Status

Version 1.0 is a historical dataset.

Ecclesiastical jurisdictions change over time through the establishment, suppression, division, merger, transfer, elevation, or other modification of ecclesiastical structures.

The boundaries represented in Version 1.0 therefore describe a particular historical state of ecclesiastical geography and should not be assumed to represent current boundaries.

Users publishing research based on Version 1.0 should identify the dataset version and publication year to preserve the temporal context of their analysis.

Later corrections or improvements do not alter the historical content of Version 1.0.

10. Data Quality and Limitations

Reasonable efforts were made to research, construct, and review the boundaries represented in Version 1.0. However, the Dataset was assembled from diverse historical, ecclesiastical, geographic, and statistical sources and may contain geographic, temporal, attributional, or interpretive errors.

The Dataset is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, including warranties concerning completeness, positional accuracy, currency, fitness for a particular purpose, or canonical or juridical validity.

The presence of a boundary in the Dataset should not be interpreted as evidence that the boundary constitutes a definitive canonical, civil, legal, or property determination.

11. Responsible and Ethical Use

Users are expected to use the Dataset responsibly and with appropriate regard for the individuals, communities, and institutions represented by the geographic information.

The Dataset should not be used for:

• harassment or intimidation;

• persecution;

• discriminatory profiling;

• targeting individuals or communities;

• surveillance that violates applicable law or human dignity; or

• other unlawful or harmful purposes.

Users should exercise particular care when combining ecclesiastical geographic data with personal, demographic, residential, migration, or other sensitive information.

The Dataset is intended to support research and constructive geographic understanding rather than to facilitate harm to individuals or communities.

12. Independent Research, Maps, and Analytical Works

Users may create independent non-commercial maps, analyses, publications, visualizations, statistical studies, academic works, and other outputs using the Dataset, subject to the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license and applicable attribution requirements.

Such works should clearly distinguish the user's analysis or cartographic interpretation from the underlying Dataset.

Users should not represent an independently produced map, analysis, or interpretation as an official Catholic, Holy See, diocesan, canonical, PUST, CUA, GoodLands, or Esri determination unless such authorization has actually been granted.

Modified versions of the Dataset itself may not be redistributed, nor may the Dataset or its outputs be used for commercial purposes, under the CC BY-NC-ND license.

13. Third-Party Materials and Source Rights

The Dataset incorporates or derives information from multiple historical and contemporary sources. The inclusion of information derived from a third-party source does not necessarily transfer ownership of that source material to the Dataset's current steward or licensors.

Users remain responsible for complying with applicable rights, licenses, permissions, and attribution requirements associated with third-party materials.

Where third-party source information is identified in the Dataset's metadata or provenance documentation, users should consult the applicable source terms before redistributing or reproducing that material independently.

14. No Warranty and Limitation of Liability

The Dataset is provided without warranty and without representation that it is complete, current, error-free, canonically definitive, legally authoritative, or suitable for any particular purpose.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Molly A. Burhans, the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, The Catholic University of America, GoodLands, Esri, and their respective officers, employees, researchers, students, collaborators, and agents shall not be responsible for losses, claims, damages, or other consequences arising from reliance upon the Dataset or from downstream uses of the Dataset.

Users are responsible for determining whether the Dataset is appropriate for their intended purpose and for independently verifying information where accuracy or current status is material.

15. Historical Version Preservation

Version 1.0 is maintained as part of the documented historical lineage of the Global Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Boundaries dataset.

Users are encouraged to preserve the version number, publication year, original citation, and provenance information whenever Version 1.0 is incorporated into research, publications, maps, or other works.

Subsequent versions may contain corrections, refinements, additional jurisdictions, updated attributes, or other changes and should not be substituted for Version 1.0 when reproducing historical analyses.

16. Amendments and Version Governance

These Terms may be updated to clarify licensing, attribution, provenance, historical documentation, or other administrative matters.

Any update to these Terms does not retroactively alter the geographic content of Version 1.0.

The terms applicable to a later version should be consulted separately where that version has been expressly released under different terms.

Last Updated: September 29, 2026
Dataset: Global Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Boundaries
Version: 1.0
Original Publication: 2016
Historical Steward: GoodLands
Current Academic Stewardship: Molly A. Burhans / Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) / The Catholic University of America
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0