Apostolic protonotary
As an apostolic protonotary (Latin protonotarius apostolicus ) both certain prelates of the Roman Curia and bearers of a high-ranking papal honorary title are referred to . The name follows from the historical office of the primicerius notariorum in Urbe (Latin: chief of the notaries in the city of Rome ), which is attested as early as the 5th century .
Notaries of the Papal Curia
The actual Apostolic Protonotaries are the notaries of the Pope and the Holy See . Their number is fixed at seven. Together they form a college presided over by the senior apostolic protonotary, known as the dean .
The task of the apostolic protonotaries is to prepare the files and documents on the proclamation of dogmas , canonizations , coronations , seizures, assumption of office and the death of the Pope . They also monitor the proper opening and closing of a conclave and keep records of the consistories .
These actual Apostolic Protonotaries are assigned to the first section of the State Secretariat and are also known as Protonotarii Apostolici de numero .
Papal honorary title
Moreover, there is a second group Apostolic Proto notaries who Protonotarii Apostolici supra numerum , which this title was awarded honorary. This title is the highest honorary prelate title. As a rule, it was awarded to deserving priests at the request of the responsible diocesan bishop , but this award was very rarely granted compared to other honorary titles.
In January 2014 , Pope Francis ended the award of the title, which he had temporarily suspended shortly after his election . Titles that had already been awarded were retained.
Honorary rights
Both classes of Apostolic Protonotaries are members of the Papal Family . As a sign of their dignity, like the papal honorary prelates, they are allowed to wear a black robe with purple piping and purple buttons as well as a purple cingulum and a purple biretta outside of the service . In addition, they have the right to wear the mantelletta , a purple shoulder cape made of silk. In church services they wear the purple choir clothes . In the past, they also had the right to use the pontificals in church services .
In Germany , the correct form of address for an Apostolic Protonotary is “Most Revered Prelate”. The best known German protonotary is Prelate Wilhelm Imkamp .
literature
- Axel Freiherr von Campenhausen , Ilona Riedel-Spangenberger et al. (Eds.): Lexicon for Church and State Church Law , Volume 1. Schöningh, Paderborn 2004, ISBN 978-3-506-77376-0 , Sp. 141.
- Winfried Schulz : Apostolic Protonotary . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 1 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993, Sp. 876 .
- Stephan Haering , Heribert Schmitz (Hrsg.): Lexicon of Canon Law . Herder, Freiburg i.Br. 2004, ISBN 3-451-28522-3 , Sp. 56f.
- German Bishops' Conference (Ed.): Ceremonials for the bishops in the Catholic dioceses of the German-speaking area . Herder, Freiburg i.Br., ISBN 3-451-26734-9 , 2003.
- Ricarda Redeker, Theodor Graf Finck von Finckenstein : The correct form of address in public life: protocol-based adviser for communication, correspondence, placement . Bundesanzeiger-Verlag, Cologne, 2012, ISBN 978-3-8462-0019-3 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Winfried Schulz in LThK 3 , 876.
- ↑ Annuario Pontificio 2004, 1730f.
- ^ The reforms of Francis: Pope abolishes honorary titles . kna article in: Der Tagesspiegel , January 6, 2014.
- ^ Ceremonials for the Bishops, Appendix I.
- ↑ Protocol form of address to Catholic dignitaries