In
Catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, "of pontifical right" is the term given to ecclesiastical institutions (religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life) either created by the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
, or approved by it with the formal decree known by the Latin name ''
decretum laudis'' ('decree of praise'). The term is included in the names of institutions, often capitalised in English: "Institute of
xxof Pontifical Right".
The institutions of pontifical right depend immediately and exclusively on the Holy See on matters of internal governance and discipline.
[ Code of Canon Law (C.I.C.)]
can. 593
History
Until the 19th century religious communities were divided into two groups: regular orders with solemn vows and congregations of simple vows.
[''Direttorio canonico'', p. 53.]
In 1215, in the
Fourth Lateran Council
The Fourth Council of the Lateran or Lateran IV was convoked by Pope Innocent III in April 1213 and opened at the Lateran Palace in Rome on 11 November 1215. Due to the great length of time between the council's convocation and its meeting, m ...
,
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216.
Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...
decreed that no regular orders could be founded without papal approval. The bishops, however, retained the right to form communities whose members lived the religious life without taking formal vows. These groups later took the name of "congregations of simple vows".
[
The number of congregations of simple vows, especially women's, were increasing dramatically during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the early 19th century, many were seeking papal recognition from Rome. In 1816 the Holy See began to approve the congregations with simple vows, but they were still not recognized as religious institutions.][''Direttorio canonico'', p. 54.]
In 1854 Giuseppe Andrea Bizzarri, the Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for Consultations About Regulars, created on the behalf of Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...
a procedure for the approval of congregations of simple vows. This was communicated to the bishops in 1861.[
With this new procedure, the distinction was formally made for the creation of an institute, operated by a bishop, and its approval by the Holy See. After its foundation, the institute (i.e., congregation) would have the status "of diocesan right". Under this status, the institute would remain under the protection of the bishops of the diocese where it was founded.
If the Holy See grants the institute the ''decretum laudis'' ecree of approval the institute would be placed under its direct protection. The institute would thus acquire the status "of pontifical right".]apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution () is the most solemn form of legislation issued by the Pope.New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, pg. 57, footnote 36.
By their nature, apostolic constitutions are addressed to the public. Generic constitutions use ...
of Pope Leo XIII.[
]
References
Bibliography
* {{cite book, language=it , title=Direttorio canonico per gli istituti religiosi, gli istituti secolari e le società di vita apostolica, trans-title=Canonical Directory for Religious Institutes, Secular Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life, location=Cinisello Balsamo, Italy , publisher=Edizioni paoline, year=1988 , editor=Giuliano Nava , isbn=88-215-1618-0
Catholic canon law of religious