From the bulletin of August 30, 2020
As we journey through some of the more recent Papal teachings, it is also important to understand the different kinds of documents a pope can write. Last week’s survey of the Marian doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption were drawn from the kind of document called an “Apostolic Constitution.” This is considered the highest level of document which can be used for infallible teachings and for other very important decisions about things in the universal Church. Even when the teaching is not specifically formulated as an infallible dogma, they are considered authoritative and often have a direct impact on Church law. A few of the documents we’ll look at will be this kind.
Like Apostolic Constitutions, there is what we call a Papal Bull, which are decrees issued by the Pope on solemn occasions. This is a more blanket term used to describe any very solemn decree. It can be a little confusing because some Apostolic Constitutions are also considered Papal Bulls. There are also canonization of saints, excommunications, dogmatic pronouncements, dispensations, and important announcements. The name does not refer to the animal, but comes from the Latin word for the lead seal (bulla) that was put on these documents when they were written. The key phrase to look for is the Pope’s title “servant of the servants of God,” which is typically only used in these kinds of documents.
Just beneath the level of Apostolic Constitutions are Encyclicals. These are basically pastoral letters the Pope writes to the whole Church to address a variety of concerns. They usually take established teaching and reflect more on it. While they aren’t typically used for infallible teaching, they do have a certain level of authority. They belong to what we call the “Ordinary Magisterium” and Catholics are expected to show a submission of mind and will to these teachings. In other words, they are not mere opinion, so we have to show deference, but they are also not necessarily infallible and could be changed or developed over time, though major changes are very rare. The more connected the letter is to other letters, teachings, and scripture, the more authoritative it is. Most of the documents we’ll look at are going to belong to this category and some of the most significant developments come from a series of Encyclicals that all touch on the same theme of Social Teaching.
Focusing more on Church Law, there is a kind of document called “Motu Proprio.” These often deal with decisions connected to Canon Law. They are typically very short and address a single issue or legal decision. Nonetheless, the Church’s laws are a reflection of her belief and theology, so some of these can be helpful in understanding what we believe.
Then we have Apostolic Exhortations. As the name suggests, they are an exhortation from the Pope, who is a successor to the Apostle Peter. These are generally connected to a specific special occasion within the Church like a Jubliee Year or a Synod of Bishops. They tend to focus on a specific virtue or exhort the Church to develop a specific part of her mission in the world. They do not have dogmatic definitions and they do not deal with Church law. As with anything the Pope writes or says in a formal way, they have some authority and we owe them deference. Again, the more rooted the document is in previous teachings, the more forceful it is. Specific parts of these documents can change or be developed.
Lastly, there are a variety of documents used to answer question, adjust laws, or address certain groups of people. It can get a bit technical to sort through rescripts, recognitios, promulgations, allocutions, and apostolic briefs. If and when these come up, we can sort through them. Most of them have to do with specific laws and groups, but they do sometimes have an impact on universal Church law or doctrine. As with most official Papal documents, they do require our deference and recognition of authority, but are subject to change and not guaranteed to be infallible.
In Christ,
-Fr. Albert